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BX  6495  .M4  A3 

Meyer,  F.  B.  1847-1929 

The  bells  of  Is 


THE   BELLS   OF   IS 


Rev.  Frederick  B.  Meyer,  B.  A. 


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^  /3.  yruLu^jiA. 


MAR  23  ]948   . 


THE  BELLS  OF 

OR 

VOICES    OF    HUMAN   NEED    AND    SORROW 


JEcboes  from  mg  JEaclg 
Ipastoratea 


BY 


F.  B.I^EYER,  B.  A. 

AUTHOR    OF    "JOSH'JA:     AND    THE    LAND    OF    PROMISE,"    "THE    WAY    INTO    THE 
HOLIEST,"    "CHRISTIAN    LIVING,"    ETC.,  ETC.,  ETC. 


FLEMING    H.   REVELL  COMPANY 
New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Publishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


Copyright,  1894, 
By  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company. 


PREFACE 


/^NE  of  the  most  popular  legends  of  Brittany 
^-^  is  that  relating  to  an  imaginary  town  called 
Is  (pronounced  Iss),  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  swallowed  up  by  the  sea  at  some  unknown 
time.  There  are  several  places  along  the  coast 
which  are  pointed  out  as  the  site  of  this  imagi- 
nary city,  and  the  fishermen  have  many  strange 
tales  to  tell  of  it. 

According  to  them  the  tips  of  the  spires  of  the 
churches  may  be  seen  in  the  hollow  of  the  waves 
when  the  sea  is  rough,  while  during  a  calm  the 
music  of  their  bells  ringing  out  the  hymn  appro- 
priate to  the  day  rises  above  the  waters. 

Similarly,  as  it  has  always  seemed  to  me,  amid 
the  submerged  masses,  deep  down  at  the  bottom 
of  the  ocean  of  human  life,  there  are  yearnings 
and  desires  for  a  better  life,  that  ring  sadly  and 

S 


6  PREFACE. 

perpetually.  It  has  been  the  aim  of  my  life  to 
listen  for  these,  and  where  I  have  detected  them, 
to  present  the  only  answer — the  love  of  God  in 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

Some  of  the  ways  in  which  I  sought  to  do  this 
during  my  Leicester  life  are  narrated  in  this  book, 
which  serves  to  show  what  may  be  done  in  this 
direction  amid  the  cares  of  a  busy  pastorate. 

F.  B.  Meyer. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


I.   A  Birthday  Reverie 9 

II.    Melbourne  Hall,  Leicester 20 

III.  Launching  Out 28 

IV.  At  the  Jail  Gates 37 

V.    My  First  Case 45 

VI.    Our  System  of  Relief 57 

VII.    My  Work  as  Banker 65 

VIII.    A  Brace  of  Fowls 72 

IX.    Prisoners'  Aid  Societies   78 

X.    My  Relations  with  the  Publicans 86 

XI.    "  Providence  House  " 95 

XII.    I  Become  a  Fire-wood  Merchant 103 

XIII.  Various   Methods in 

XIV.  The  Streets 119 

XV.    "  The  Cathedral  " 127 

XVI.    On  the  Race-Course 135 


THE  BELLS  OF  IS 


^  i3irtl)ba2  Eeuerie 

The  Bells  of  Is  are  ringing 

Far  down  my  heart  to-day ; 
They  call  me  to  the  memory 

Of  scenes  long  passed  away — 
Of  days  almost  forgotten, 

Of  feelings  long  passed  by — 
Sweet  as  the  scent  of  flowers 

We  loved  in  infancy." 

Clifford  Harrison. 


WE  can  never  calculate  how  much  we  owe  to 
other  people.  It  would  be  easier  to  count 
the  threads  of  the  warp  which  cross  and  inter- 
weave themselves  with  the  woof  than  to  analyze 
and  give  due  weight  to  the  various  influences 
which,  from  childhood  upwards,  have  gone  to 
make  us  what  we  are.  And  sometimes  one  falls 
into  a  kind  of  reverie,  halting  for  a  little  on  the 
hill  of  life  and  looking  back  or  down;  remem- 
bering the  way  by  which  one  has  been  led,  and 

9 


lO  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

recalling  the  many  faces  and  voices,  once  so 
familiar,  which  have  faded  away,  never  again  to 
be  renewed.  Such  a  reverie  often  befalls  one  on 
the  day  which,  from  our  earliest  childhood,  has 
been  invested  with  sacred  memories  as  the  day 
of  birth. 

Into  some  such  reverie  I  fell  the  other  day, 
traveling  back  and  back.  Will  it  be  deemed  too 
great  an  obtrusion  of  self  if  I  yield  to  the  kind 
importunity  which  insists  on  placing  my  portrait 
in  the  frontispiece,  and  demands  these  broken 
memories  of  the  past? 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  give  a  child  a  sunny  back- 
ground to  its  life ;  as  sunny  as  possible,  so  that 
whatever  may  be  the  shadows  of  after  life,  it 
may  ever  have  a  corridor  of  memory,  a  picture- 
gallery,  into  which  it  may  turn  for  refreshment 
and  stimulus.  And  how  wonderful  is  that  Provi- 
dence which  has  ordained  that  time,  which  dims 
the  brightest  colors  that  ever  left  the  painter's 
palette,  only  suffices  to  touch  the  lines  of  early 
life  into  more  lasting  and  vivid  beauty. 

Happy  indeed  was  the  setting  of  my  early  life  ; 
one  of  the  freshest  memories  of  which  seems  to 
be  long  summer  days  spent  on  Clapham  Com- 
mon, when  the  gorse  covered  it  from  side  to  side, 
and  the  bracken  grew  high  enough  to  hide  the 
slight,  childish  figure  that  delighted  to  throw  it- 
self with  wild  abandonment  into  its  midst.    What 


A   BIRTHDAY  REVERIE  II 

would  not  one  give  to  have  days  of  the  same 
length  as  those  used  to  be,  spent  in  saihng  boats 
across  those  mimic  seas,  or  in  absorbing  games 
of  cricket,  as  exciting  as  any  that  ever  drew 
crowds  to  Lord's.  The  deep  shade  of  those 
spreading  chestnuts  through  the  sultry  hours  of 
noon ;  the  long  drives  through  Streatham  and 
Dulwich,  when  those  suburbs  were  uninvaded  by 
the  modern  terrace  or  the  intersecting  railways ; 
my  father's  home,  with  its  long  garden  and  pad- 
dock ;  and,  perhaps  more  to  me  than  anything 
else,  the  house  at  the  end  of  the  long  walk, 
where  Macaulay  wrote  his  history,  and  where 
my  maternal   grandparents  lived. 

It  is  pleasant,  in  looking  back  over  the  years, 
to  be  unable  to  recall  one  moment's  misunder- 
standing with  those  beloved  parents,  who  are 
now,  together  with  some  sweet  younger  children, 
in  the  presence  of  the  King.  One  long  pathway 
of  unclouded  sunshine  stretches  away  from  the 
shore  of  the  present  over  the  ocean  expanse  of 
the  past.  It  is  impossible  to  be  thankful  enough 
to  my  gentle,  lovely  mother  for  the  careful  drill- 
ing in  Scripture  which  was  her  habit  wuth  us  all. 
To  this  is  owing  a  familiarity  with  the  Bible 
which  has  been  of  inestimable  value  as  the  basis 
of  after  study.  It  was  her  regular  practice  to 
gather  us  around  her  on  each  Lord's  Day  morn- 
ing  for  the   searching   of   Bible   references,   and 


12  THE   BELLS    OF  IS 

for  reading  books  bearing  directly  on  Scripture. 
And  how  can  we  who  shared  in  them  ever  for- 
get the  happy  hours  each  Sunday  afternoon, 
when  we  gathered  around  the  piano,  and  sang 
hymn  after  hymn ;  our  childish  voices  gathering 
strength  as  they  were  led  and  supported  by  that 
noble  bass  voice  of  my  father,  which  was  like  an 
organ  in  the  richness  of  its  tones!  It  was  not 
what  they  said,  for  they  spoke  very  little  directly 
to  us ;  but  what  they  were,  and  what  they  ex- 
pected us  to  be,  that  seemed  insensibly  to  form 
and  mold  our  characters. 

My  grandfather  was  a  successful  city  merchant, 
full  of  sound  common  sense ;  a  strong  man,  who 
had  made  for  himself  a  position  of  influence  and 
honor  in  the  business  world.  But  the  light  of 
that  home  was  the  saintly  lady,  whose  daily  walk 
has  been  described,  by  one  who  knew  her  well, 
as  one  of  close  intercourse  with  God  in  Christ 
during  nearly  fourscore  years.  Her  early  life 
was  spent  among  the  Friends,  a  society  which  is 
remarkable  for  the  high  and  noble  character  of 
its  women.  This  early  training  was  never  lost 
on  her ;  it  gave  a  quiet  dignity  and  charm  to  her 
character,  an  independence  of  outward  formu- 
laries, a  certain  strength  and  spirituality  of  tone 
which  made  her  unlike  most  others.  And  in  her 
closing  years  it  came  back  to  her  with  renewed 
power,  when,  no  longer  able  to  attend  the  out- 


A    BIRTHDAY    REI/'ERIE  1 3 

ward  ordinances  of  God's  house,  she  would  retire 
into  the  temple  of  the  inner  life,  ever  open  to  all 
devout  souls,  and  there  hold  fellowship  with  God 
beneath  the  direct  teaching  and  enlightenment 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

She  was  not  only  a-  woman  of  great  spiritual- 
ity, but  of  great  strength  of  intellect.  Few  could 
write  sweeter  poetry  than  hers,  and  every  event 
in  the  history  of  the  great  family  of  children  and 
grandchildren  seemed  to  awake  some  response 
from  her  lyric  muse.  It  was  no  small  privilege 
for  the  young  lad  to  be  allowed  to  sit  for  long 
hours  beside  her,  as  she  poured  into  his  heart  the 
noble  thoughts  which  were  ever  welling  up  within 
her  soul,  and  which,  especially  in  the  early  morn- 
ing, would  be  so  fresh  and  vigorous.  Besides  all 
this,  she  had  a  special  faculty  of  making  other 
people's  troubles  her  own,  and  of  living  in  their 
lives;  never  thinking  of  self,  but  ever  eager  to 
say  or  do  something  to  alleviate  anxiety,  and 
promote  their  comfort.  In  her  heart  there  was 
a  true  spark  of  the  enthusiasm  of  humanity. 

Then  came  school-life.  First,  the  daily  trudge 
along  the  interminable  Acre  Lane  to  the  school 
kept  by  my  excellent  relative,  Samuel  Wilkins,  Esq. 
Then  a  year  or  two  of  tuition  by  Mr.  Peto  and  his 
son,  in  the  house  which,  with  its  ob,servatory,  is 
so  prominent  an  object  on  entering  Brighton  Sta- 
tion, but  preeminently  the  Brighton  College. 


14  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

We  were  living  at  Brighton  then,  having  re- 
moved for  the  benefit  of  my  sister's  heahh ;  my 
father  making  the  daily  journey  to  London.  It 
was  therefore  possible  for  me  to  sleep  at  home, 
and  so  combine  the  holy  influences  of  the  home 
with  the  public  spirit,  the  esprit  de  corps,  the  in- 
spiration and  stimulus  of  a  great  public  school. 
At  first  the  tenderly  nurtured  lad  shrank  from 
association  with  so  many  strong  and  boisterous 
spirits.  But  ah,  how  can  we  overestimate  the 
influence  of  our  pubhc  schools  in  enlarging  the 
mind,  in  rubbing  off  ugly  corners,  in  giving  a 
sense  of  independence  and  self-reliance  to  the 
youth  of  England  ?  Even  now  as  I  write,  I  re- 
call the  excitement  of  the  great  cricket  matches ; 
the  frays  with  roughs  and  other  schoolboys,  with 
whom  we  had  perpetual  feud,  culminating  in  the 
uproarious  proceedings  of  November  5th;  the 
paper-chases  over  the  downs;  the  athletic  sports, 
and  the  prodigious  training  that  preceded  them ; 
the  postage-stamp  fever;  the  fossil  furore;  the 
expeditions  with  choice  spirits  over  the  rocks  and 
along  the  cliflfs  when  the  tide  was  down;  the 
opening  of  the  chapel  and  the  daily  service.  Oh, 
happy,  happy  days,  whose  traces  will  linger  ever, 
as  the  ripple  marks  of  ocean  wave  upon  the  soft 
marl,  which  is  now  stamped  with  them  forever! 

But,  amid  all  this  boyish  life,  there  was  rising 
up  within   the   heart,  like  a  fountain  from   un- 


A   BIRTHDAY   REVERIE  I  5 

known  depths,  the  steady  resolve,  as  yet  hardly 
realized,  and  never  breathed,  that  the  life  was  to 
be  inspired  by  the  one  absorbing  purpose  of  the 
ministry  of  Jesus  Christ.  Among  my  mother's 
papers  I  found  recently  some  early  attempts  at 
sermons,  and  each  Sunday  night  my  proclivities 
found  expression  in  the  little  service  at  which  the 
servants  attended.  The  hands  that  reached  down 
out  of  heaven,  molding  men,  had  already  com- 
menced to  form  a  vessel,  which  in  after  days  He 
was  going  in  marvelous  condescension  to  use. 

When  yet  about  the  age  of  fifteen,  my  father's 
losses  in  business  necessitated  our  leaving  the 
beautiful  home  in  which  we  lived,  and  returning 
to  London ;  but  this  was  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
important  factors  in  my  life.  It  brought  out  all 
the  lad's  self-restraint  in  order  to  save  needless 
expense ;  it  took  away  the  temptation  to  ex- 
pect from  others  a  deference  due  rather  to  wealth 
than  worth ;  it  threw  me  into  close  society  with 
my  beloved  relatives,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Glad- 
stone, and  the  cultivated  circle  which  gathered 
round  their  home.  The  beloved  Baldwin  Brown 
was  for  months  an  occupant  of  that  same  house ; 
Dr.  Gladstone,  with  his  wide  knowledge  of  the 
scientific  world,  and  his  own  researches  into  the 
worlds  of  chemistry  and  light,  and  many  others, 
came  and  went,  and  opened  up  new  and  wider 
thoughts  of  the  great  world  around.     Those  visits 


1 6  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

to  the  meetings  of  the  British  Association ;  those 
evenings  at  the  concerts  of  the  Sacred  Harmonic 
Society ;  those  talks  of  books,  and  experiments, 
and  fossils,  and  science.  How  invaluable  all  these 
influences!  That  surely  is  the  true  method  of 
education  which  seeks  not  to  destroy  but  to  ful- 
fill ;  and  which  so  awakens  the  interest  of  the 
young  expanding  mind  to  the  beautiful  and  true, 
that  there  is  little  foothold  left  for  the  false  and 
hateful. 

At  last  the  choice  must  be  made  for  the  com- 
ing life,  and  there  was  but  one  answer  from  the 
young  heart ;  but  it  was  yet  further  tested,  under 
the  advice  of  Dr.  Brock,  whose  ministry  we  had 
attended  during  our  former  stay  at  Clapham,  and 
who  had  not  a  little  to  do  with  giving  the  first 
direction  toward  the  formation  of  the  earliest  life- 
purpose  in  the  little  boy  who  sat  on  the  book- 
box  of  the  great  corner  pew.  And  so  more  than 
two  years  were  passed  in  a  city  counting-house, 
in  sampling  tea,  in  learning  book-keeping,  and  in 
acquiring  habits  of  punctuality,  exact  attention 
to  details,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  life  of  young 
men.  Should  any  read  these  words  who  are 
contemplating  the  service  of  the  ministry,  let 
them  by  all  means  graduate  in  the  college  of  city 
life,  and  study  attentively  the  great  book  of 
human  nature.  It  is  impossible  to  preach  to 
men  unless  you  know  rhen. 


A   BIRTHDAY  REVERIE  I  7 

But  all  this  time,  the  one  desire  of  the  city 
clerk  was  to  know  the  will  of  God.  Biographies 
were  eagerly  read,  and  experiences  compared 
with  his  own.  The  mind  constantly  offered  to 
the  Divine  Spirit  that  he  would  impress  it  with 
his  will.  Repeated  conferences  were  held  with 
the  late  thoughtful  and  devoted  David  Jones, 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Streatham,  and  with 
younger  men.  And  ever  and  again  the  oppor- 
tunities of  public  service  would  be  greedily 
caught  at,  whether  to  address  the  assembled 
Sunday-school,  or  to  exhort  a  few  old  women 
crowded  in  some  narrow  cottage,  whose  blessings 
were  sweeter  than  the  fragrance  of  spring  flowers 
to  the  young  evangelist. 

At  last  the  probation  time  was  over,  and 
Regent's  Park  College  entered,  with  inestimable 
advantage  from  the  accurate  scholarship  of  Dr. 
Angus,  and  the  course  of  study  prescribed  for 
the  graduates  of  the  London  University,  attend- 
ing the  ministry  of  Rev.  Thomas  Jones,  and  gen- 
erally preaching  once  or  twice  each  Lord's  Day. 

My  first  charge  was  at  Richmond,  Surrey, 
where,  during  the  latter  part  of  my  college 
course,  I  reared  the  church,  afterward  housed  in 
a  permanent  building.  Then,  on  leaving  college, 
I  was  permitted  to  become  the  assistant  minister 
of  my  dearly  loved  and  venerated  friend,  the  late 
Rev.  C.  M.  Birrell,  of  Pembroke  Chapel,  Liver- 


1 8  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

pool,  whose  heart  and  home  were  freely  opened 
to  me.  To  have  known  Mr.  Birrell  is  to  have 
known  one  of  the  sweetest,  holiest,  most  catholic, 
and  most  cultured  men  of  his  time.  He  was 
richly  endowed  by  nature  in  his  erect  and  ele- 
gant figure,  his  intellectual  face,  with  its  flashing, 
expressive  eye,  and  noble  expanse  of  forehead, 
surmounted  by  the  abundance  of  raven  hair. 
His  preaching  was  deeply  spiritual,  full  of  cul- 
tured thought,  expressed  in  polished  and  classic 
phrase.  But  it  was  in  his  conversational  powers 
that  he  w^s  facile  princeps.  It  was  a  rich  treat 
to  sit  with  him  in  the  eveniiig  after  supper,  and 
let  him  talk  of  men  he  had  known,  of  places  he 
had  visited,  books  he  had  read,  and  ceremonials 
which  he  had  witnessed.  Oh,  rare  and  glorious 
man,  will  it  ever  be  my  lot  again  to  be  admitted 
into  thy  inner  friendship?  Surely  thou  wilt  be 
too  much  sought  after  in  that  world  where  such 
as  thou  art  take  the  first  rank  among  their  peers ! 
Then  came  the  brief,  bright  pastorate  at  York, 
memorable  for  the  visit  of  D.  L.  Moody  and  Ira 
D.  Sankey,  who  began  their  English  tour  in  1873 
by  the  series  of  services  held  in  my  chapel.  Then 
I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  wider,  larger  life,  in  which 
mere  denominationalism  could  have  no  place,  and 
in  which  there  was  but  one  standard  by  which 
to  measure  men,  namely,  their  devotion  to,  and 
knowledge  of,  the  Son  of  God.     Thank  God,  I 


A   BIRTHDAY  REVERIE  1 9 

have  never  receded  from  that  position,  and  I 
hope  that  I  never  shall.  While  willing  to  devote 
my  energies  to  those  with  whom  my  belief  on 
one  great  subject  necessarily  allies  me,  yet  I  re- 
fuse to  be  a  mere  denominationalist,  and  I  glory 
most  in  being  a  member  of  the  one  Catholic 
Church,  and  the  brother  of  all  who  love  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity. 


II. 


iHelbottrne  ^all,  Cdcester 

"  I  have  no  answer  for  myself  or  thee, 
Save  that  I  learned  beside  my  mother's  knee : 
*  All  is  of  God,  that  is,  and  is  to  be. 
And  God  is  good.'     Let  this  suffice  us  still, 
Resting  in  child-like  trust  upon  his  will. 
Who  moves  to  his  great  ends,  unthwarthed  by  the  ill." 

Whittier. 

FROM  the  beginning  of  my  ministry  I  had 
desired  to  reach  the  large  masses  of  the 
people  that  are  outside  our  churches.  My  favor- 
ite Old  Testament  passage  has  for  years  been 
that  which  tells  how  David  made  the  greatest 
army  of  his  time  from  the  motley  crew  that 
gathered  around  him  in  the  cave;  and  I  have 
always  desired  to  raise  churches  and  congrega- 
tions from  those  who  have  revolted,  not  from 
Christ,  but  from  Christianity  as  it  is  too  largely 
represented  to  them  in  the  ecclesiastical  organi- 
zations around  us. 

This  desire  was  deepened  during  my  pastorate 
at  York,  where,  as  I  have  said,  Messrs.   Moody 

20 


MELBOURNE  HALL,  LEICESTER  21 

and  Sankey,  not  then  so  famous,  spent  about 
three  weeks  with  me,  preaching  those  sermons 
and  singing  those  hymns  which  were  destined 
within  a  few  months  to  ring  through  the  world. 
By  one  means  and  another,  it  dawned  on  me  that 
the  majority  of  non-churchgoers  become  so  not 
from  antagonism  to  the  gospel,  but  from  dislike 
to  the  arrangements  which  raise  barriers  to  the 
freedom  of  their  access  to  our  places  of  worship. 
The  working-classes  dislike  the  pew-system,  with 
its  class  and  money  distinctions.  They  do  not 
care  to  be  beholden  to  the  charity  of  others,  es- 
pecially if  these  act  as  though  their  yearly  pay- 
ment gave  them  the  same  kind  of  exclusive  right 
to  a  pew  that  the  house-rent  does  to  a  house. 
Many  a  man  has  given  up  attendance  at  the 
house  of  God  because  of  some  slight,  intentional 
or  not,  received  years  before.  Even  where  pew- 
holders  are  most  courteous,  and  delight  to  enter- 
tain strangers,  their  very  attentions  are  some- 
times embarrassing  to  the  sons  of  toil. 

I  had  noticed  what  large  crowds  gather  in 
public  halls  and  theaters  to  hear  the  simple 
preaching  of  God's  Word;  and  I  often  wished 
that  the  time  might  come  when  I  could  preach 
regularly  in  a  building  where  all  the  seats  were 
perfectly  open  and  free  to  all  comers,  early  at- 
tendance alone  giving  a  claim  to  the  same  posi- 
tion. 


22  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

On  vacating  the  pulpit  of  the  Victoria  Road 
Church,  Leicester,  in  May,  1878,  a  number  of 
friends  gathered  round  me  and  proposed  that  I 
should  begin  preaching  to  the  people  in  a  public 
hall,  the  Museum  Buildings.  Very  shortly  the 
place  became  crowded  on  Sunday  evenings,  even 
to  the  adjacent  room,  where  people  would  sit  to 
hear,  though  they  could  not  see,  the  speaker. 
Large  numbers  also  professed  conversion,  and 
joined  the  little  church  which  was  formed  in 
order  to  give  us  permanence  and  follow  the 
Scripture  precedent.  In  this  church  the  ques- 
tion of  baptism  was  left  to  the  conscience  of  each 
individual ;  though  the  pastor  practiced  the  rite 
of  immersion,  but  altogether  independently  of 
questions  of  church  order  and  discipline. 

In  about  a  year  it  was  evident  that  we  should 
require  a  permanent  building ;  and  a  few  of  us 
began  to  pray  definitely  for  guidance.  Shortly 
after,  I  happened  to  call  on  an  invalid  lady,  not 
directly  connected  with  us,  who,  as  I  left  her 
room,  put  into  my  hand  an  envelope,  and  said 
that  it  had  been  for  a  long  time  her  desire  to 
give  the  sum  inclosed  for  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing for  my  ministry,  and  that  she  had  been  pray- 
ing for  me  to  call  that  very  day.  On  opening  it 
I  found  a  ;^io  note,  and  it  spoke  to  me  as  the 
land-birds  to  Columbus,  after  his  weary  voyage, 
when  they  perched  upon  the  rigging  of  his  ship, 


MELBOURNE  HALL,   LEICESTER  23 

and  told  him  that  he  was  nearing  land.  To  this 
other  friends  added  the  amounts  they  felt  able  to 
give ;  but  they  fell  so  far  short  of  the  lowest  sum 
we  should  require  as  to  test  rather  severely  my 
weak  faith. 

One  evening,  feeling  very  perplexed  about  the 
future,  I  resolved  to  devote  some  time  to  very 
special  prayer  for  guidance ;  but  the  answer 
came  before  I  called,  for  I  noticed  that  a  letter 
had  been  put  under  the  front  door,  written  by 
some  anonymous  friend,  whose  style  and  writing 
indicated  great  deficiency  in  education.  The 
writer  expressed  an  eager  desire  to  see  the  Lord's 
house  built,  and  inclosed  £1.  What  followed 
that  night  is  known  only  to  the  Great  Master 
and  myself;  but  I  felt  that  I  had  heard  his  voice 
saying  to  me,  ''  Come  unto  me  on  the  water." 
For  my  part,  I  was  perfectly  willing  to  obey  his 
invitation,  though  I  could  see  no  earthly  chances 
of  success.  That  was  the  moment  of  decision ; 
and  though  many  things  happened  afterward  to 
test  my  faith,  I  never  hesitated  from  that  time 
in  the  behef  that  I  was  in  the  line  of  the  divine 
purpose. 

My  friends  and  I  now  came  to  the  decision 
that  we  would  all  give  as  much  as  we  could 
afford  towards  the  object  that  we  had  in  hand, 
and  that  we  should  let  our  needs  be  known ;  but 
that  we  should  take  no  step  towards  making  a 


24  THE  BELLS    OF  IS 

public  canvass  for  money.  I  very  much  ques- 
tion the  expediency  of  collecting  money  for  re- 
ligious work  from  those  who  have  no  special 
religious  interest;  who  give  because  they  are 
pressed  to  give,  or  because  they  do  not  Hke  to 
disoblige  their  friends.  We  never  canvassed  for 
a  single  penny  of  all  the  vast  sums  we  raised  for 
commencing  and  maintaining  the  work  at  Mel- 
bourne Hall. 

All  through  the  following  fortnight  the  post 
brought  the  paper  slips,  filled  in  with  various 
amounts,  some  of  them  from  the  very  poorest, 
and  all  bearing  evidence  of  the  efforts  and  sacri- 
fices that  were  being  made.  And  it  was  truly 
astonishing  to  find  at  its  close  that  ;^i77ohad 
been  promised.  We  were  led  to  select  the  site 
on  which  Melbourne  Hall  now  stands  by  a  very 
remarkable  but  divinely  guided  foresight  on  the 
part  of  two  of  our  committee  ;  for  the  neighbor- 
hood, which  is  now  covered  with  houses,  was 
only  beginning  to  be  laid  out.  And  finally, 
after  many  preliminaries,  on  a  cold  evening  in 
March,  1880,  about  three  hundred  persons  gath- 
ered to  dedicate  the  ground  to  God,  preparatory 
to  the  builder's  commencing  operations. 

While  negotiations  were  proceeding  for  the 
completion  of  the  purchase  of  the  land,  notices 
were  inserted  in  the  papers,  requesting  architects 
to  apply  for  the  printed  list  of  specifications  as 


MELBOURNE  HALL,   LEICESTER  25 

to  our  needs  and  requirements.  These  were 
numerous  and  particular.  The  building  was  to 
seat  twelve  hundred  to  thirteen  hundred  persons. 
It  was  not  to  be  too  ecclesiastical  in  style ;  but 
to  resemble  a  public  hall,  that  those  who  were 
prejudiced  against  churches  and  chapels  might 
be  attracted.  There  was  to  be  a  large  supply  of 
rooms  for  classes  and  sectional  meetings.  Spe- 
cial attention  was  to  be  paid  to  its  suitability  for 
seeing  and  hearing  the  speaker  from  all  parts. 
The  outside  cost  was  to  be  £^gQO.  We  met 
daily  to  pray  that  some  one  architect  might  fur- 
nish a  design  which,  in  commending  itself  to  the 
judgment  of  all,  should  be  evidently  God's  de- 
sign for  us.  This  prayer  was  answered  in  the 
unanimity  with  which  we  all  selected  the  designs 
which  are  now  perpetuated  in  Me'bourne  Hall. 
The  memorial  stones  were  laid  on  July  i,  1880, 
and  the  opening  services  held  on  July  2,  1881. 
But  not  a  step  was  taken  that  did  not  come  be- 
fore our  Httle  daily  noon  prayer-meeting. 

What  Melbourne  Hall  was  and  is  to  those  of 
us  who  watched  every  brick  added  to  its  rising 
structure,  words  fail  to  tell.  It  is  quite  unique 
in  its  appearance.  On  winter  nights,  when  it  is 
lighted  up,  it  would  seem  as  though  some  giant, 
striding  across  the  country,  had  for  a  moment 
set  down  his  huge  lantern  at  the  junction  of 
the  four  roads,  from  one  of  which  the  building 


26  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

derives  its  name.  Many  a  wayfarer  is  cheered 
in  the  stormy  night  by  its  gleaming  welcome. 
Then  within,  the  seats  are  so  arranged  that  the 
congregation  sits  densely  before  the  minister. 
And  as  it  became  the  custom  for  it  to  be 
crowded,  aisles  and  all,  on  Sunday  nights,  two 
rows  of  chairs  being  placed  down  each  aisle,  it 
was,  and  is,  a  very  imposing  spectacle. 

One  secret  of  success  lay  in  the  constant  use 
we  made  of  the  place.  Why  should  noble  piles 
of  building,  with  their  attendant  class-  and  read- 
ing-rooms, which  have  be^n  erected  at  such  cost 
for  public  service,  be  lit  up  and  used  for  but  one 
night  a  week,  while  gin-palaces  and  beer-shops 
glow  in  their  gaudy  splendor  without  one  even- 
ing's pause?  How  can  we  expect  to  hold  our 
young  people,  or  our  reclaimed  workingmen,  if 
we  only  give  them  shelter  and  welcome  for  two 
or  three  hours  on  Sunday,  and  leave  them  to 
spend  all  their  leisure  hours  just  where  they 
may  ?  Of  course  it  may  be  answered,  ''  Let 
them  spend  their  evenings  at  home;"  but  you 
might  as  well  expect  a  swollen  brook  to  keep 
its  course  without  spreading  over  the  low-lying 
fields.  The  people  will  have  change  and  recrea- 
tion at  night ;  and  if  they  cannot  get  them  under 
the  shelter  of  the  Church,  many  will  seek  it 
where  they  should  not.  I  rejoice  that  this  is  in- 
creasingly appreciated,  and   that  board   schools 


MELBOURNE  HALL,  LEICESTER  27 

are  being  utilized  for  the  well-being  of  the 
neighborhoods  in  which  they  are  situated.  Our 
advice  to  all  Christian  workers  is,  '*  Do  not  spare 
your  coals,  and  do  not  study  your  gas  bills." 
Every  shilling  spent  in  firing  and  lighting  comes 
back  a  thousandfold  in  moral  and  spiritual  good. 
The  way  to  save  your  young  people  from  inane 
and  injurious  entertainments  is  to  secure  their 
cooperation  in  providing  wholesome  and  spiritual 
meetings  for  those  who  otherwise  might  drift 
into  questionable  surroundings :  Mission  or  Gos- 
pel Services;  Blue-Ribbon  meetings;  Saturday 
evening  social  gatherings  for  the  tempted  and 
reclaimed;  Ambulance  Classes;  Christian  En- 
deavor meetings,  and  many  other  agencies  of  a 
similar  character,  which  combine  the  maximum 
of  benefit  with  the  minimum  of  peril. 

It  was  with  bitter  pain  and  regret  that  I  tore 
myself  away  from  Melbourne  Hall,  and  it  will 
always  live  deep  down  in  my  heart ;  but  I  rejoice 
to  know  that  it  flourishes  still,  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  my  beloved  friend.  Rev.  W.  Y.  Fullerton, 
who  has  succeeded  Rev.  C.  B.  Sawday,  now  of 
Leeds. 

"Peace  be  within  thy  walls,  and  prosperity 
within  thy  palaces.  For  my  brethren  and  com- 
panions' sakes,  I  will  now  say,  Peace  be  within 
thee." 


III. 

Cttttttcijing  ^nt 

**  Whosoever  may 
Discern  true  ends  here — shall  grow  pure  enough 
To  love  them,  brave  enough  to  strive  for  them, 
And  strong  enough  to  reach  them,  though  the  roads  be  rough." 

E.  B.  Browning. 

LAUNCH  out  into  the  deep,"  the  Master  said, 
when  his  sermon  was  done.  On  the  shore 
stood  the  eager  crowds  that  had  thronged  and 
pressed  him.  He  felt  unequal  to  go  among 
them  after  the  long  strain  imposed  by  his  mira- 
cles and  teaching.  The  calm  lake,  with  its  far 
stretches  of  tranquil  water,  in  which  mountain 
and  sky  were  reflected,  and  from  across  whose 
surface  the  light  fresh  breeze  came  to  fan  his 
face,  beckoned  him.  Besides  which,  he  had  prob- 
ably already  heard  the  story  of  the  unsuccessful 
night.  He  knew  something  of  the  needs  of  a 
fisherman's  home.  He  desired  to  pay  amply  for 
the  use  of  the  fishing-boat.  And  deeper  than 
all  there  was  the  urgent  necessity  to  give  his  fol- 
28 


LAUNCHING   OUT  29 

lowers  in    parabolic   form   a  lesson  in   catching 
men. 

Peter  and  the  rest  had  to  learn  that  the  way 
to  success  in  Christian  work  lay  in  obedience 
to  the  command  of  Christ,  though  apparently  in 
collision  with  the  results  of  human  foresight  and 
prudence.  No  fisherman,  of  all  that  plied  their 
craft  around  that  lake,  would  have  dreamed  of 
launching  forth  at  noontide  for  a  haul  of  fish, 
knowing  well  that  they  would  be  lying  in  the 
deep  water  beyond  the  reach  of  his  net.  It  was, 
therefore,  a  searching  test  of  their  willingness  to 
obey  the  word  of  Christ.  Our  Lord  also  wished 
to  teach  his  Church  no  longer  to  hug  the  shore, 
or  to  content  herself  with  a  work  among  the 
chosen  people,  and  those  who  had  an  inclination 
toward  good  things ;  but  to  go  forth  where  men 
congregated  in  the  great  deeps  of  human  life, 
and  there,  even  when  experience  and  sagacity 
were  at  fault,  to  obey  his  command  in  letting 
down  the  gospel  net. 

Our  churches  have  been  too  slow  in  heeding 
the  Master's  command.  They  have  been  con- 
tent with  their  own  small  circle,  the  members, 
the  congregation,  and  the  Sunday-schools,  with 
their  several  coteries;  but  they  have  made  too 
few  attempts  to  deal  with  the  great  masses 
which  seldom  come  within  our  places  of  worship. 
These  need  our  care,  they  are  the  other  sheep 


30  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

which  the  Good  Shepherd  said  that  he  must 
seek ;  and  they  are  really  more  susceptible  to  the 
appeals  of  the  gospel  than  those  who  have  been 
reared  in  Christian  homes,  or  within  the  silver 
notes  of  the  gospel. 

I  have  sometimes  described  these  reminis- 
cences as  "deep-sea  fishing."  A  lecture  bear- 
ing that  title  was  once  widely  advertised  in 
London,  with  the  effect  of  attracting  some  sailors 
from  the  East  End,  who  expected  to  hear  some- 
thing about  their  own  caUing.  I  am  afraid  they 
were  a  Httle  disappointed  when  they  discovered 
that  my  deep  sea  was  not  that  of  the  ocean,  but 
the  great  abyss  of  human  life,  with  its  teeming 
shoals,  its  countless  multitudes. 

These  records  of  my  own  experiences  in  this 
direction  are  set  down  in  the  hope  that  I  may 
encourage  others  to  launch  their  fishing-smack, 
and  let  down  their  nets  where  I  have  found  so 
much  interest  and  such  rich  spoils.  One  main 
secret  of  success  in  church  life  is  the  organiza- 
tion of  its  members  and  adherents  for  work 
among  the  masses  of  people.  Only  our  nets 
should  be  both  mended  and  clean,  that  we  may 
be  prepared  at  any  time  to  obey  the  Master's 
summons. 

I  well  remember  my  first  walk  through  Leices- 
ter, up  its  long  London  Road,  passing  out  from 
the  station,  and  meeting  the  long  stream  of  op- 


LAUNCHING   OUT  3  I 

eratives  hurrying  down  the  street,  from  their 
brief  dinner-hour,  to  the  heart  of  the  town, 
where  the  factories  are  situated.  And  as  they 
passed  me  in  the  quick  step  of  their  busy  Hfe,  I 
could  not  help  saying  to  myself,  "  Shall  I  ever 
know  these  people,  or  understand  them,  or  win 
their  confidence  and  love?"  And  recollections 
arose  before  me  of  J.  P.  Mursell,  and  Edward 
Miall,  and  Nathaniel  Haycroft,  who  had  wielded 
a  mighty  influence  over  those  same  masses,  by 
the  force  of  an  eloquence,  a  genius,  a  brilliance 
of  thought  and  diction,  a  clear-headedness  and 
directness  of  statement,  of  which  I  knew  myself 
to  be  destitute.      And  my  heart  sank  within  me. 

But  I  had  yet  to  learn  that  the  true  way  to 
the  heart  of  a  town  is  open  to  any  man  who  will 
use  the  golden  key  of  kindness,  and  concentrate 
his  energies  to  doing  those  deeds  of  mercy  the 
opportunity  for  which  lies  around  each  one  of 
us,  however  small  our  powers,  however  circum- 
scribed our  sphere. 

In  the  earlier  years  of  my  Leicester  ministry  I 
failed  in  finding  the  path  which  led  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  my  cherished  purpose.  There 
were  many  reasons  for  this ;  the  chief  of  which, 
perhaps,  was  a  certain  idea  of  the  dignity  of  the 
ministerial  office,  which  restrained  me  from  en- 
tering freely  into  the  life  of  the  people,  and 
hedged  me  around  with  a  reserve  that  hid  my 


32  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

real  self.  All  this,  however,  in  God's  own  time 
and  way,  came  to  an  end  when,  having  resigned 
my  pastorate  of  Victoria  Church,  I  undertook 
the  work  which  developed  into  Melbourne  Hall, 
and  from  the  first  was  intended  to  reach  those 
masses  of  the  people  who  seemed  altogether  be- 
yond the  ordinary  means  of  grace. 

It  was  a  little  after  the  commencement  of  the 
services  in  the  Museum  Buildings  that  the  work 
at  the  prison  gate  began,  in  the  following  way. 
A  young  girl  who  attended  our  services  came  to 
me  one  day  in  great  distress  about  her  father, 
who  was  in  jail,  and  likely  to  come  out  on  the 
following  morning.  She  wished  me  to  meet  him 
as  he  was  discharged,  and  do  my  best  to  save 
him  from  his  bad  companions,  who  would  be 
probably  waiting  for  him.  This  I  readily  under- 
took to  do ;  and  it  was  out  of  this  trivial  incident 
that  all  the  work  of  which  I  am  to  write  arose. 
How  often  it  is  that,  when  we  are  looking  for 
some  great  work  to  do,  a  little  child,  as  in  the 
old  legend  of  St.  Christopher,  asks  us  to  carry  it 
across  the  rushing  stream ;  or  a  tiny  act  of  min- 
istry is  required  by  some  servant  or  neighbor; 
and  this  is  the  rill  which  broadens,  widens,  and 
deepens  into  the  mighty  river  on  which  navies 
float  and  merchant-vessels  pass  far  up  into  the 
land. 

On  the  following  morning  I  left  my  home  at 


LAUNCHING    OUT  33 

a  quarter  to  nine,  not  without  considerable  mis- 
givings. It  was  a  cold  and  dreary  winter  morn- 
ing; a  heavy  mist  was  hanging  over  the  town, 
and  dripping  heavily  from  the  bare  branches  of 
the  trees  in  the  gardens  and  public  walks.  At 
nine  I  reached  the  jail,  and  asked  through  the 
grating  if  a  man  bearing  the  given  name  was 
about  to  be  discharged.  Almost  to  my  relief  I 
discovered  that  he  had  been  transferred  to  an- 
other prison,  and  that  therefore,  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  my  errand  was  in  vain.  However,  I 
retired  across  the  road,  and  waited  quietly  to  see 
the  usual  method  of  discharge. 

In  a  few  moments  more  the  little  door  in 
the  great  nail-studded  gates  opened,  and  a  man 
stepped  out,  looking  nervously  around  him,  as 
if  anxious  about  the  welcome  which  he  would 
receive  from  the  world  of  men,  which  had  been 
compelled  to  banish  him  from  its  midst.  How- 
ever, he  was  not  left  long  in  doubt ;  for  from  the 
side  of  the  street  where  I  stood  an  interested 
spectator,  two  women  sped  across  the  road  to 
greet  him,  one  of  whom — the  elder — bore  a  long 
coat,  into  which  she  helped  him,  enveloping  him 
from  head  to  foot ;  while  the  other,  slenderer  and 
younger,  perhaps  wife  or  sweetheart,  encircled 
his  neck  in  a  scarlet  cloth,  and  so  the  two  led 
him  away  into  the  public-house  close  by,  and  the 
door  swung  heavily  behind  them.     Meanwhile, 


34  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

another  man  had  emerged  from  the  prison  door, 
but  there  was  no  one  to  welcome  him;  and  ap- 
parently not  knowing  what  else  to  do,  he  followed 
in  the  wake  of  the  others,  across  the  road  to  the 
pubHc-house. 

I  have  been  credibly  informed  that  the  value 
of  the  custom  of  discharged  prisoners  had  greatly 
enhanced  the  purchase-money  of  that  public- 
house  ;  and  I  cannot  but  be  glad  if  my  efforts 
did  something  to  lessen  the  yearly  revenue,  be- 
cause so  often  the  whole  of  a  man's  good  resolu- 
tions have  been  dissipated  by  a  glass  of  beer,  to 
which  he  has  been  treated  with  the  well-inten- 
tioned good-will  of  his  companions  and  friends. 
And  as  we  shall  see  presently,  the  government 
vtark-money  may  be  put  to  better  use  than  to  be 
squandered  in  a  drunken  revel  at  the  expense  of 
the  man  who  has  earned  it  by  months  of  industry 
and  good  behavior.  I  have  no  ill-will  against 
Hquor-dealers  as  a  body;  but  I  have  learned 
vehemently  to  hate  the  trade,  and  the  facilities 
which  abound  so  plentifully  for  the  sale  of  intoxi- 
cants. When  will  the  Church  of  God  arouse  her- 
self for  one  great,  determined  effort  to  break  the 
thraldom  by  which  myriads  are  being  continually 
dragged  down  to  perdition  ? 

There  were  standing  near  me  some  men  of  the 
lower  artisan  class,  pipe  in  mouth,  either  waiting 


LAUNCHING    OUT  35 

to  go  into  their  shops,  or  with  nothing  particular 
to  do.  These,  too,  had  eyed  the  proceedings  with 
a  vague  interest,  and  turning  to  them  I  said : 

"  Lads,  is  this  the  style  of  thing  that  goes  on 
here  most  mornings?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  they  said;  "mostly." 

**  But,"  said  I,  "  if  a  man  comes  out  at  yonder 
jail  door,  and  goes  into  the  door  of  the  pubhc- 
house,  he  appears  to  me  to  come  out  of  the  jail 
by  the  front  door  and  go  into  it  again  by  the 
back  one ;  for  I  reckon  that  the  public-house  is 
the  back  door  to  the  jail." 

"Well,"  said  they,  "  what's  a  chap  to  do? 
When  he  comes  out  of  that  'ere  place,  there's 
nowhere  else  for  him  to  go  to  but  the  pubHc," 

It  was  perfectly  true ;  and  I  felt  that  the  time 
had  come  when  it  should  be  true  no  longer.  So 
I  crossed  the  road,  rang  the  bell,  asked  to  see 
the  governor.  Miles  Walker,  Esq. — at  whose  hands 
from  that  moment  I  was  to  receive  the  most  un- 
wavering kindness  and  cooperation — and  laid  be- 
fore him  my  request  to  be  permitted  to  come 
each  morning  to  escort  the  discharged  prisoners 
to  one  of  the  splendid  Leicester  coffee-houses, 
which  was  within  three  minutes'  walk. 

He  at  once  assented  to  my  request,  told  me  that 
he  would  put  every  faciHty  in  my  way,  and  invited 
me  to  come  there  within  the  gates  each  morning, 


36  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

that  I  might  learn  something  of  the  prisoners 
with  whom  I  should  have  to  deal.  And  so  I 
paid  my  first  visit  to  the  place  into  whose  gloomy 
doors  I  was  to  be  admitted  each  morning  for  sev- 
eral happy  following  years,  as  I  hope  to  tell. 


IV. 
^t  t[)c  Sail  (Baits 

"  Now  thou  mayest  give 
The  famished  food,  the  prisoner  liberty, 
Light  to  the  darkened  mind,  to  the  lost  soul 
A  place  in  heaven.     Take  thou  the  privilege 
With  solemn  gratitude.     Speck  as  thou  art 
Upon  earth's  surface,  gloriously  exult 
To  be  co-worker  with  the  King  of  Heaven." 
Mrs.  Sigourney, 

I  SHALL  never  forget  my  first  morning's 
work  at  the  jail  gate,  following  on  the  inci- 
dent related  in  the  last  chapter.  I  fear  that  I 
more  than  once  repented  of  the  promise  I  had 
given  the  governor,  and  wished  that  I  had  never 
undertaken  the  cause  of  the  discharged  jail-birds. 
This  was  not  owing  to  any  lack  of  interest  in 
them,  but  because  of  a  great  nervousness  as  to 
the  way  in  which  they  might  treat  me ;  and 
especially  as  to  the  effect  it  would  have  on  my 
church  and  congregation,  who  might  seriously 
object  to  the  close  identification  which  must  nat- 
urally ensue  between  their  history  and  that  of  the 
new  cause  which  I  had  espoused. 
37 


38  THE   BELLS  OF  IS 

Altogether,  between  my  fear  of  what  the  dis- 
charged prisoners  would  do  to  me,  and  what  my 
own  people  and  the  townsfolk  would  think  of 
me,  I  had  an  uncomfortable  time  of  it ;  and  my 
knees  trembled  as  I  went  down,  almost  as  much 
as  they  did  when  I  stood  up  to  preach  my  first 
trial  sermon  in  the  httle  chapel.  Moor  Street, 
Seven  Dials,  before  a  formidable  phalanx  of  min- 
isters and  friends.  I  had  not  then  learned  what 
it  is  to  be  the  slave  of  Jesus  Christ — a  condition 
of  mind  in  which  one  becomes  blessedly  obHvious 
to  what  men  may  say  or  do,  so  long  as  the  light  of 
his  approval  shines  warm  and  fresh  upon  the  heart. 

I  cannot  remember  exactly  how  many  were 
waiting  for  discharge  when  I  reached  the  prison 
that  morning  at  nine  o'clock.  It  was  customary 
for  them  to  be  marshaled  in  single  file  along  the 
wall  on  the  left-hand  side  within  the  gate,  their 
faces  directed  away  from  the  gate,  and  toward 
the  bit  of  garden,  beyond  which  lay  the  principal 
portion  of  the  prison  premises.  So  far  as  I  can 
recollect  there  were  four  or  five — and  all  men. 
The  gate-keeper  was  the  only  other  person  pres- 
ent as  I  went  up  to  them  and  made  a  short  speech. 
It  ran  somewhat  in  this  strain : 

*'  My  lads,  I  have  come  to  give  you  an  invita- 
tion to  breakfast.  When  a  man  gets  out  of  this 
place  he  often  goes  straight  to  the  public-house, 
and  gets  back  among  his  old  pals,  and  they  pull 


AT  THE  JAIL   GATES  39 

him  down.  But  if  you  come  with  me  to  a  coffee- 
house, which  is  a  step  down  the  road,  I  will  see 
that  you  have  a  good  breakfast,  and  will  do  what 
I  can  to  give  you  a  fresh  start." 

They  all  turned  and  scrutinized  me  narrowly 
from  head  to  foot,  and  seemed  in  doubt  as  to 
what  to  make  of  me ;  for  I  had  no  special  dis- 
tinctive dress,  and  they  were  at  a  loss  to  classify 
me  with  the  chaplain,  or  the  private  gentleman, 
or  the  agent  of  some  society. 

However,  one  man  touched  his  hat,  and  said, 
"  I'll  come,  sir,  and  thank  you  kindly ;"  on  which 
the  others,  one  by  one,  expressed  their  willing- 
ness to  do  the  same. 

"  By  this  time  the  clerks  had  arrived  in  the  office, 
and  were  calling  for  the  men  to  come  in,  one  at 
a  time,  to  claim  the  money  and  trinkets  and  other 
articles  which  had  been  taken  from  them  on  their 
first  admission  into  jail,  all  these  things  being 
always  carefully  entered  and  kept.  The  warrants 
also  were  examined,  and  then  placed  in  the  dis- 
charge-book, which  was  laid  on  the  governor's 
table  to  await  his  coming. 

Presently  I  heard,  while  waiting  in  his  little 
private  room,  his  steps  down  the  long  stone  pas- 
sage, as  he  came  from  his  own  house ;  and  I  was 
encouraged  by  a  very  warm  and  friendly  greet- 
ing. We  had  some  chat,  and  he  told  me  a  little 
about   the   different   men  who  were  to   be   dis- 


40  THE  BELLS  OF  IS 

charged,  that  I  might  not  be  quite  unprepared  to 
deal  with  them.  These  talks  in  after  years  be- 
came more  and  more  interesting,  especially  as  we 
had  often  to  deal  with  those  whom  both  of  us 
had  come  to  know  as  ''  old  hands." 

It  would  not  be  becoming  for  me  to  say  all 
that  I  soon  felt  toward  my  friend  the  governor; 
but  I  had  many  opportunities  of  remarking  the 
deep  interest  he  evinced  in  the  reformation  of 
the  prisoners  committed  to  his  care,  and  the 
sound  advice  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  ad- 
ministering, especially  to  young  or  new  offenders. 
Nor  must  I  forget  the  chief  warder  of  those  days, 
who  took  the  governor's  place  in  his  absence; 
nor  the  chaplain,  with  whom  I  was  always  on 
the  best  of  terms ;  nor  the  clerks ;  nor  indeed  the 
general  staff,  all  of  them  taking  a  genuine  inter- 
est in  the  work  begun  that  morning,  and  which, 
I  think,  shed  a  humane  and  beneficent  influence 
on  them  all. 

At  last  the  hour  comes  for  discharge.  One 
by  one  the  men  are  summoned  before  the  gov- 
ernor, and  asked  if  they  have  all  their  property, 
and  if  they  have  anything  to  say ;  and  then  with 
a  word  of  advice  or  warning  he  says,  *'  You  may 
go."  And  each  passes  into  the  gateway,  and 
through  the  little  door  in  the  big  gates,  back  into 
the  world,  from  which  he  has  been  banished  for 
days,  or  months,  or  years. 


AT  THE  JAIL   GATES  4 1 

This  was  always  my  opportunity ;  I  went  out 
with  the  first,  unless  I  had  men  waiting  outside 
to  help  me,  in  which  case  they  took,  man  by 
man,  the  prisoners  as  they  emerged,  and  walked 
with  them  to  the  coffee-house.  But  on  this,  the 
first  morning,  I  stepped  out  with  the  first,  and 
we  waited  together  till  the  whole  had  made  their 
exit  from  the  prison,  and  then  started  at  a  quick 
step  to  the  coffee-house.  It  was  a  very  strange 
experience.  There  was  a  little  group  of  loiterers 
across  the  road,  eagerly  watching  to  see  if  any 
of  their  special  friends  were  returning  to  their 
society,  and  they  were  evidently  surprised  to  see 
me  in  such  equivocal  company.  As  we  walked 
along  that  pavement,  which  I  was  so  repeatedly 
to  tread  in  the  early  morning,  on  a  similar  errand, 
I  felt  that  the  shopkeepers  all  along  the  route 
were  eying  me  very  curiously. 

However,  we  got  to  the  coffee-house  at  last, 
and  I  landed  all  my  men  without  any  great  diffi- 
culty. 

If  only  my  pen  were  more  quick  in  the  delin- 
eation of  character,  I  would  now  depict  my  friend 
Richard,  the  manager  of  that  coffee-house,  who 
was  destined  to  play  a  very  important  part  in  the 
outworking  of  my  scheme.  He  was  a  young 
man  of  about  twenty-six,  short,  thick-set,  per- 
haps not  remarkable  in  his  features,  except  for 
the  light  that  shone  in  his  eye ;  but  a  genuine 


42  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

man — true,  loyal,  chivalrous  to  the  last  degree, 
ready  at  repartee,  able  to  hold  his  own  with  the 
keenest;  but,  as  I  found,  a  Christian  and  a  mem- 
her  of  a  Bible-class,  the  teacher  of  which,  a  lady, 
be  held  in  high  honor. 

In  the  whole  kingdom  it  is  impossible  to  find 
a  town  so  well  equipped  with  first-rate  coffee- 
houses as  Leicester.  I  have  never  seen  anywhere 
coffee-houses  which,  as  a  whole,  would  compete 
for  a  moment  with  those  erected  by  the  Leicester 
Coffee  and  Cocoa  House  Company.  They  had 
some  nine  or  ten  when  I  left  the  town,  and  it 
was  a  luxury  to  go  into  any  one  of  them  for  a 
meal.  The  marble-topped  tables  were  always 
clean  ;  the  floors  always  fresh  with  new  sawdust ; 
the  provisions  always  of  the  best  quality ;  the  at- 
tendants always  civil  and  obliging;  the  appear- 
ance always  Hght  and  airy  and  comfortable.  It 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  they  are  paying  a 
handsome  dividend;  and  that  their  accommoda- 
tion is  strained  to  the  uttermost,  especially  at 
dinner-time,  when  the  operatives  crowd  every 
seat  and  fill  every  corner. 

"  What's  this  that  ye're  up  to?  "  was  Richard's 
first  salutation  as  I  entered  the  coffee-house  with 
my  new  friends. 

I  told  him,  and  said,  **  I  want  you  to  get  them 
some  breakfast.     Where  shall  they  sit?" 

We  then  located  them  in  a  corner  of  the  coffee- 


AT   THE  JAIL   GATES  43 

house,  where  they  were  screened  from  the  imme- 
diate observation  of  those  who  came  into  the  bar, 
and  agreed  that  we  must  give  them  something 
more  substantial  than  mere  bread  and  butter.  It 
is  probable  that  we  there  and  then  instituted  the 
plate  of  ham,  which  was  in  all  after  days  to  prove 
so  great  an  attraction  to  palates  which  had  been 
long  accustomed  to  skilly  and  brown  bread.  This, 
with  two  or  three  cups  of  tea,  coffee,  or  cocoa, 
and  as  much  bread  and  butter  as  the  hungriest 
could  eat,  cost  about  sixpence  per  head.  Some- 
times it  seemed  that  the  digestion  turned  against 
the  richer  food,  and  we  gave  the  breakfast  to  be 
taken  away  in  the  pocket  in  the  shape  of  sand- 
wiches. 

It  was  a  great  business  to  get  this  first  break- 
fast arranged  and  carried  through ;  and  I  cannot 
remember  any  of  the  conversation  which  I  doubt- 
less had  with  the  men  over  the  meal.  But  when 
they  had  all  gone,  I  learned  from  Richard  that 
there  was  no  objection,  so  far  as  he  could  see,  to 
our  coming  there  every  morning,  as  the  coffee- 
house was  always  empty  about  that  time ;  those 
who  had  been  to  breakfast  having  gone,  and  the 
luncheoners  not  having  arrived. 

**  Are  you  doing  this  on  your  own  head?" 
Richard  asked. 

''Yes,"  said  I;  "I  don't  know  who's  to  help 
me." 


44  THE  BELLS  OF  IS 

''  Well,"  said  he,  '*  if  you  won't  be  above  tak- 
ing it,  I  would  like  to  give  you  the  first  subscrip- 
tion." And  Richard  put  a  piece  of  silver  into 
my  hand,  which  shone  there  like  a  gleam  of  the 
divine  blessing,  as  it  was  certainly  the  first-fruits 
of  gifts  which  were  to  come  to  me  from  all  parts 
of  the  community  when  the  work  began  to  be 
known,  and  which  enabled  me  to  give  breakfasts 
to  between  forty-five  hundred  and  five  thousand 
men  and  women  on  those  same  seats  before  I  left 
Leicester  and  my  interesting  work  at  the  jail  gate. 


V. 
M^  SivQi  Case 

"  I  have  been  wild  and  wayward, 
But  you'll  forgive  me  now." 

"  Am  not  I  nobler  through  thy  love?  " 

Tennyson. 

MANY  of  my  readers  will  be  asking  that  I 
shall  pass  as  soon  as  possible  from  the  gen- 
eral description  of  my  work  to  narrate  some  par- 
ticulars as  to  its  effect  on  individual  cases.  And 
I  will,  therefore,  give  some  account  of  my  first 
successful  case — one  on  which  I  expended  a  good 
deal  of  thought,  and  the  outcome  of  which  was 
a  great  encouragement.  It  gave  me  indeed  a 
new  conception  of  the  possibilities  of  my  work  at 
the  prison  gate. 

One  morning  in  the  early  days  of  my  new  en- 
terprise, there  were  only  two  or  three  prisoners 
waiting  for  discharge,  one  of  whom  was  very  un- 
promising in  his  appearance.  He  had  evidently 
been  a  tramp,  his  garments  were  unusually  ragged, 
45 


46  THE  BELLS  OF  IS 

and  his  appearance  disreputable  and  unkempt. 
The  rents  in  his  trousers  were  scarcely  drawn 
together  by  the  wide  cross-stitches;  his  boots 
would  have  taken  in  water  at  the  toe  and  let  it 
out  at  the  heel ;  his  clothes  hardly  covered  him. 
I  think  I  can  see  now  his  dejected,  miserable  look. 

''Will  you  come  to  the  coffee-house?"  said  I. 

"  Yes,'*  was  the  almost  sullen  reply. 

And  I  certainly  had  never  before  trodden  that 
Via  Dolorosa  with  such  a  ragged  and  wretched 
companion. 

When  we  reached  the  coffee-house  I  discov- 
ered, after  the  warm  food  had  exerted  its  wonted 
thawing  influence,  that  he  had  been  a  Leicester 
workman  years  before,  had  then  entered  the 
army,  but  on  his  discharge  had  taken  to  drunken 
habits,  and  had  gradually  reduced  himself  to  the 
very  lowest  level,  associating  with  tramps  and 
outcasts. 

Something  attracted  me  to  this  man,  who  was 
yet  in  early  manhood,  and  I  felt  strongly  disposed 
to  help  him  back  to  respectability. 

In  all  such  cases,  the  first  step  was  the  signing 
of  the  pledge-card,  of  which  we  always  kept  a 
large  supply  at  hand,  with  plenty  of  blue  ribbon 
in  case  of  need.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  drink 
had  been  the  ultimate  cause  of  landing  my  poor 
friends  in  jail.  It  was  sometimes  lamentable  in 
the  morning  to  run  the  eye  through  the  warrants 


MY  FIRST  CASE  47 

of  discharge,  or  down  the  list  made  in  one's  own 
book  for  guidance  in  deahng  with  the  specific 
cases,  and  see  as  the  repeated  description  of  their 
crime,  "  drunk,"  **  drunk  and  disorderly,"  *'  drunk 
and  assault."  Very  often  men  and  women  would 
tell  me  that  they  had  no  remembrance  of  com- 
mitting the  crime  with  which  they  had  been 
charged,  and  had  only  awoke  from  a  kind  of 
stupor  to  find  themselves  in  the  cell  of  the  police 
station.  The  fact  being,  I  often  fancied,  that  the 
stuff  which  they  took  was  neither  good  beer  nor 
unadulterated  spirits,  but  in  many  cases  vile  de- 
coctions which  utterly  poisoned  the  system,  and 
perverted  the  working  of  the  brain.  In  these 
cases,  and  indeed  in  all,  the  first  great  effort  was 
always  in  the  direction  of  pledge-signing. 

I  know  that  many  differ  from  me  in  this,  and 
urge  that  we  should  in  each  case  begin  with  the 
message  of  the  gospel.  I  hope  that  this  was 
never  far  away  from  my  thoughts  or  lips ;  but  I 
have  always  found  that  one's  message  falls  flat 
until  men  are  convinced  of  their  sins,  and  made 
willing  to  confess  and  forsake  them.  Men  can- 
not believe  God  or  accept  the  gospel  of  his  love 
on  the  one  hand  so  long  as  they  are  concealing 
or  clinging  to  sin  on  the  other.  It  is  of  course 
clear  that  the  sinner  cannot  deliver  himself  from 
the  bondage  of  sin  ;  he  needs  for  this  the  Great 
High  Priest  and  Saviour;  but  he  must  feel  and 


48  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

acknowledge  and  be  willing  to  forsake  his  sin 
before  the  message  of  salvation  can  become  to 
him  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  The  sign- 
ing of  the  pledge  in  numberless  cases,  in  the 
name  of  God,  was  a  confession  and  avowal  of 
sinnership  on  the  part  of  some  sin-cursed  soul, 
and  an  expression  of  desire  for  deliverance — yea, 
more,  a  pledging  of  the  will  on  God's  side  in  this 
matter;  while  it  is  undeniable  that  in  hundreds 
of  instances  the  resolution,  being  kept  in  prayer 
and  dependence  on  the  divine  help,  has  led  to  a 
new  and  blessed  life.  When  the  will  is  yielded, 
God's  Spirit  can  always  begin  his  blessed  work 
of  deliverance  and  salvation. 

No  effort  was  therefore  spared  to  induce  dis- 
charged prisoners  to  sign  the  pledge.  In  many 
cases  they  had  themselves  seen  the  results  of 
their  folly,  and  came  out  of  jail  determined  never 
again  to  touch  intoxicating  liquor.  In  other 
cases  the  most  earnest  entreaties  were  obdurately 
and  determinedly  resisted ;  and  this  was  specially 
often  the  case  when  evil  companions  were  lurking 
about  the  door  of  the  coffee-house,  prepared  to 
escort  their  "  pal "  to  some  neighboring  public- 
house.  But  often  our  persuasions  won  the  day, 
especially  being  supported  by  the  fact  that  in 
prison  the  men  had  been  able  to  exist,  had  done 
their  work  quite  comfortably  without  the  drink, 
and  had  really  enjoyed  better  health  than  before. 


MY  FIRST  CASE  49 

In  these  respects  prison-life  is  a  perfect  revelation 
to  many  men,  showing  how  much  happier  and 
easier  life  may  be  without  yielding  to  inveterate 
appetite.  Indeed,  there  are  times  in  which  in- 
carceration is  the  only  way  by  which  these  evil 
habits  may  be  broken  off,  and  a  man  or  woman 
disentangled  from  their  old  companions.  Fre- 
quently when  a  wife  or  mother  has  come  to  tell 
me  of  the  conviction  of  husband  or  son,  I  have 
astonished  and  comforted  them  by  recounting 
the  many  instances  in  which  the  solitude  of  the 
prison-cell  has  led  to  the  disillusioning  and  de- 
liverance of  those  who  had  come  under  my  care. 
This  is  especially  the  case  with  the  first  experi- 
ence of  the  prison-cell;  after  that,  and  when  it 
has  been  twice  or  thrice  repeated,  the  heart  be- 
comes stubborn  and  obdurate,  and  the  character 
degraded  rather  than  elevated.  This  is  particu- 
larly the  case  with  women. 

The  man  of  whom  I  am  writing  did  not  need 
much  persuasion,  and  signed  the  pledge-card 
with  some  show  of  resolution.  He  told  me  his 
former  trade;  though  it  seemed  likely  that  his 
hands  would  be  long  in  recovering  the  skill  they 
had  once  possessed,  and  which  was  almost  essen- 
tial to  enable  him  to  hold  his  own  with  other 
workmen. 

In  the  meanwhile,  and  to  give  me  time  to  test 
him,  and  to  look  about  for  a  situation,  I  took  him 


50  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

to  a  small  but  respectable  men's  lodging-house, 
where  I  knew  he  would  be  shielded  from  many 
of  the  temptations  which  are  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  common  lodging-house  system. 

If  any  one  desires  to  save  men  or  to  arrest 
the  process  of  deterioration  in  them,  he  must  de- 
liver them  from  the  ordinary  common  lodging- 
house.  Perhaps  it  will  be  well  to  reserve  the 
further  consideration  of  this  matter  for  a  separate 
chapter.  In  the  meantime,  let  me  advise  those 
who  are  working  in  these  directions  to  estab- 
lish common  lodging-houses  of  their  own,  which, 
under  proper  management,  should  pay  their  own 
expenses. 

My  protege  went  on  very  well  for  some  days, 
keeping  steadily  to  his  pledge,  and  I  was  able, 
through  the  kindness  of  a  friendly  manufacturer, 
to  obtain  him  employment.  And  here  I  must 
stay  for  a  moment  to  acknowledge  the  kindness 
which  I  invariably  received  from  the  Leicester 
manufacturers.  I  often  had  to  trouble  them,  in 
the  midst  of  busy  mornings,  with  requests  that 
they  would  give  some  discharged  prisoner  a  sec- 
ond chance.  I  cannot  recall  a  case  in  which  I 
did  not  receive  a  courteous  hearing;  and  very 
often  men  were  taken  on  again  whose  places  had 
been  filled  up,  or  vacancies  were  made  to  give 
some  fallen  man  a  berth.  Often  if  we  met  in  the 
streets,  these  business  men  would  stay  to  have  a 


MY  FIRST  CASE  5  I 

few  moments'  talk  about  some  such  case,  regret- 
ting a  relapse,  or  speaking  kindly  and  hopefully 
of  a  good  promise  being  abundantly  realized. 

Of  course  I  had  to  rig  out  my  poor  friend  with 
more  decent  clothes.  In  after-days  this  was 
rendered  more  easy  by  the  parcels  of  cast-off 
clothes  with  which  the  Leicester  philanthropic 
pubHc  supplied  me  ;  but  at  that  stage  of  my  work 
I  had  to  obtain  them  from  second-hand  salesmen, 
with  whom  I  came  into  interesting  relations, 
which  experience  might  make  a  story  of  itself. 
One  or  two  of  these  men  became  really  interested 
in  the  work  for  its  own  sake. 

It  is  interesting  to  realize  how  much  charitable 
feeling  is  latent  in  most  hearts,  waiting  to  be 
elicited  and  drawn  forth  in  other  ways  than  in 
the  mere  gifts  of  money.  Many  people  are  ren- 
dering but  little  help  to  their  fellows,  not  because 
they  will  not,  but  that  they  do  not  know  how  to 
begin.  Once  show  them  how  they  may  become 
interested  in  others,  they  will  gladly  embrace  the 
opportunity,  and  find  a  new  zest  in  life,  to  be 
henceforth  gratefully  connected  with  the  agent 
or  cause  that  first  evoked  it. 

One  day,  when  my  case  was  getting  somewhat 
out  of  hand,  because  he  was  able  to  save  a  lit- 
tle out  of  his  earnings  toward  procuring  himself 
another  suit  of  clothes  and  other  little  necessaries, 
I  had  a  longer  talk  with  him  than  usual.     It  is 


52  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

of  the  utmost  importance  in  dealing  with  such 
men  to  see  them  pretty  often,  to  show  that  you 
are  still  interested,  and  to  speak  encouraging  and 
helpful  words.  There  is  a  sense  in  which  the 
words  of  a  good  man  are  spirit  and  life,  and  sup- 
ply nutriment  on  which  the  soul  feeds.  It  was 
my  endeavor  to  come  in  contact  with  these  cases 
as  frequently  as  possible ;  and  in  the  present  in- 
stance, when  my  hands  were  less  full,  I  could  do 
more  than  subsequently. 

In  the  course  of  our  talk,  and  pitying  his  lone- 
liness, for  he  seemed  to  have  no  companions  to 
help  him  in  the  new  path  he  was  treading  with 
some  difficulty,  I  said : 

*'  Haven't  you  any  people  belonging  to  you  ?  " 

''  No,  sir,"  was  the  reply ;  "  they  are  all  dead 
or  gone  away." 

"  But  is  there  no  one  that  cares  for  you,  or  for 
whom  you  care?  " 

"Well,  sir,"  said  he,  'Til  tell  you.  There  is 
a  girl  with  whom  I  used  to  keep  company — as 
nice  a  girl  as  you  ever  set  eyes  on ;  but  she 
wouldn't  be  Hkely  to  look  at  me  now."  And  he 
looked  rather  ruefully  down  at  his  clothes. 

'^Well,"  said  I,  "there's  no  telling.  These 
women  are  wonderful  creatures.  I've  known 
them  stick  to  a  man  when  he  has  lost  all  self- 
respect.  There's  no  accounting  for  a  woman's 
love." 


MY  FIRST  CASE  53 

"  Do  you  think  so?  "  he  said  wistfully. 

*'  Now,"  I  replied,  *'  if  you  like,  I'll  go  and  see 
this  girl  for  you.  You  see  you  needn't  be  jeal- 
ous of  me.  And  I  will  find  out,  if  I  can,  whether 
she  still  thinks  kindly  of  you.  And  then  I'll  let 
you  know,  and  you  can  do  as  you  like." 

He  seemed  very  relieved,  and  thanked  me 
kindly.  And  I  left  him,  rejoiced  to  be  on  this 
new  track,  because  human  love  is  so  often  a  rev- 
elation of  the  love  of  God ;  and  if  only  you  can 
awaken  in  a  man's  heart  the  thought  that  some 
one  cares  for  him,  you  will  probably  lead  him  to 
desire  to  be  worthy  of  that  care,  and  to  rise  to  it. 

It  seems  but  yesterday  morning  that  I  found 
myself  traversing  a  respectable  street  in  an  arti- 
sans' quarter,  and  knocking  at  a  door  half-way 
down.  My  summons  was  replied  to  by  a  re- 
spectable young  woman,  and  I  found  that  it  was 
her  father's  house.  I  gave  my  name,  and  was 
admitted  into  the  little  front  best  room.  It  was 
furnished  like  so  many  others  which  it  was  my 
privilege  to  visit  in  Leicester,  with  the  huge  tra- 
ditional Bible  on  the  round  mahogany  table,  and 
the  little  mirror  over  the  mantelpiece,  while  the 
backs  of  the  horsehair  chairs  were  covered  with 
the  usual  array  of  white  antimacassars.  And 
there  the  lady-fair  stood  before  me,  her  sleeves 
tucked  up,  and  her  bare  arms  steaming  with  the 
results  of  the  early  morning  wash-tub. 


54  ^H^   BELLS   OF  IS 

"  Ah/'  thought  I,  ''  if  you  are  the  one  I  am  in 
search  of,  you'll  do ;  for  the  girl  who  will  be  well 
through  her  washing  in  her  father's  house  so  early 
in  the  day  is  the  one  to  make  a  good  wife  for  any 
man." 

To  my  delight  I  found  that  her  name  was  the 
one  her  quondam  lover  had  given  me,  and  I  pro- 
ceeded on  my  delicate  investigations.  I  cannot 
disclose  here  quite  the  way  in  which  I  prosecuted 
them.  I  think  I  learned  more  by  the  flush  on 
the  cheek,  the  evident  interest,  the  eager  look, 
than  by  actual  words;  and  after  a  little  further 
conversation  left  the  house,  sure  that  the  love 
had  not  died  out  of  that  woman's  heart,  and  that 
she  was  still  true  to  him  who  had  woke  it  years 
before. 

I  told  my  friend  the  result  of  my  interview. 
He  was  very  pleased.  I  also  helped  him  to  get 
clothes  more  becoming  a  wooer ;  and  some  little 
time  after  I  was  delighted  to  meet  the  two,  one 
Sunday  afternoon,  walking  out  together.  I  do 
not  know  whether  they  saw  me ;  but  I  looked 
the  other  way,  not  wishing  to  intrude  on  their 
new-found  joy,  or  to  identify  myself  with  it.  It 
was  better  to  let  them  feel  that  it  was  their  own 
procuring,  and  God's  good  gift. 

He  had  before  this  commenced  to  attend  the 
Sunday  Evening  Service  in  Melbourne  Hall.  She 
was  wise  enough  to  encourage  him  in  this,  and 


MY  FIRST  CASE  55 

began  to  attend  there  with  him.  Eventually  they 
both  found  the  Saviour,  or,  better,  were  found  of 
him.  What  shall  I  not  say  of  the  free  and  open 
seat  system,  which  enables  such  people  to  come 
freely  in ;  or  of  the  advantage  of  a  crowd,  amid 
which  those  are  able  to  conceal  themselves  who 
would  shrink  from  being  conducted  through  long 
aisles  to  some  half-filled  seat,  where  their  dress 
or  behavior  might  excite  unkind  remarks? 

Some  twelve  months  passed,  and  my  friend 
came  to  me  under  the  pressure  of  that  nervous- 
ness in  which  most  men  come  to  their  clergyman 
or  minister  once  in  their  life.  I  immediately 
guessed  the  object  of  his  errand ;  asked  the  place 
and  time,  and  engaged  to  marry  the  happy  couple, 
who  had,  through  their  united  exertions,  saved 
money  enough  to  furnish  a  cosy  little  home.  I 
remember  that  wedding,  and  how  a  policeman, 
who  had  known  him  in  earlier  and  sadder  days, 
stood  as  his  best  man.  It  was  the  first  wedding 
of  that  sort,  though,  thank  God,  not  the  last. 
And  many  a  time  besides  have  I  conducted  a 
kind  of  second  wedding  in  the  coffee-house  for 
those  who  had  broken,  or  strained  to  breaking, 
their  marriage  bonds. 

It  was  a  pleasure  to  visit  that  little  home. 
What  a  welcome  I  got  there!  How  profuse 
were  the  expressions  of  gratitude!  How  regular 
their  attendance  at  God's  house!      How  evident 


56  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

their  growth!  And  just  before  I  left  Leicester 
he  approached  me  with  the  request  that  they 
should  be  permitted  to  sit  at  the  table  of  the 
Lord. 

So  all  comes  back  to  me  again  as  I  write,  and 
stirs  again  the  old  love  for  this  direct  and  personal 
work  among  the  lapsed.  I  seem  now  to  be  called 
to  somewhat  other  work,  but  my  heart  clings  to 
the  memory  of  those  dear  and  blessed  days  at 
Leicester  prison  gate.  Their  memories  will  be 
green  in  my  heart  till  death.  And  my  earnest 
advice  to  all  young  ministers  is — to  mix  freely 
with  the  people ;  to  visit  systematically  and  wide- 
ly ;  to  study  men  as  well  as  books ;  to  converse 
with  all  classes  and  conditions  of  men  :  always  on 
the  alert  to  learn  from  some  fresh  pages  of  the 
heart  opened  to  the  view  of  the  sympathetic  soul. 


VI. 
ODur  System  of  Helief 

* '  Such  mercy  he  by  his  most  holy  reede 
Unto  us  taught,  and  to  approve  it  trew 

Ensampled  it  by  his  most  righteous  deede, 
Shewing  us  mercie,  miserable  crew ! 

That  we  the  like  should  to  the  wretches  shew, 

And  love  our  brethren." 

SpeSser. 

IT  is  not  enough  to  meet  a  discharged  prisoner, 
and  speak  kindly  to  him,  or  give  him  a  break- 
fast. If  this  is  all,  as  soon  as  he  leaves  you,  and 
the  gnawings  of  hunger  return,  he  will  be  very 
liable  to  be  seduced  from  his  new-formed  resolu- 
tions by  mixing  with  old  companions,  and  to  re- 
lapse into  his  old  courses. 

It  is  often  weary  work  for  men  of  good  charac- 
ter to  obtain  employment.  It  is  a  common  ex- 
perience to  meet  men  of  irreproachable  character 
who  have  spent  week  after  week  in  fruitless  search, 
wiUing  to  take  anything  that  offered,  but  meet- 
ing with  constant  disappointment.  How  much 
harder,  then,  must  it  be  for  men  who  have  a  fatal 
57 


58  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

stigma  on  their  character,  or  bear  the  brand  of 
the  prison !  Very  often  their  experiences  in  jail 
will  make  them  more  reliable  and  steady  than 
others  who  have  never  fallen  into  the  clutches  of 
the  law ;  but  this  is  not  considered  by  employers, 
who,  for  the  most  .part,  have  no  time  or  interest 
for  such  questions,  their  one  aim  being  to  get  as 
much  work  done  in  as  short  a  time  as  possible. 

A  man  comes  out  of  jail  resolved  to  reform. 
He  has  made  up  his  mind  not  to  drink  or  mix 
with  his  old  mates.  He  intends  to  go  straight ; 
and  as  soon  as  he  has  had  his  breakfast  he  starts 
in  pursuit  of  employment  The  air  is  fresh,  it  is 
a  delight  to  be  free,  his  hopes  are  high ;  let  him 
but  have  work,  and  all  will  be  well.  But  the 
day's  search  is  in  vain.  He  goes  to  his  home,  or 
some  shelter  for  the  night;  and  yet  surely  to- 
morrow will  bring  better  fortune.  But  to-morrow 
comes  and  goes,  and  many  such  days,  all  full  of 
fruitless  search.  Every  door  is  closed,  and  some 
rudely  and  roughly.  Want  stares  him  in  the 
face.  His  resolution  and  sense  of  independence 
die  down.  He  begins  to  "  shack "  about  the 
streets  again,  and  to  go  with  the  men  who  do  not 
mean  to  work  so  long  as  they  can  sponge  on 
others,  or  get  drink.  And  sometimes,  in  sheer 
desperation,  the  man  who  started  a  week  ago  so 
well,  is  back  again  in  nearly  the  same  position  of 
drink  and  crime  as  before. 


OUR  SYSTEM  OF  RELIEF  59 

It  is  the  good  custom  of  our  present  prison 
system  to  allow  prisoners  to  earn  "mark-money." 
By  attention  to  prison  discipline,  by  prompt  obe- 
dience to  all  rules  and  regulations,  and  especially 
by  good  behavior,  a  man  wins  a  certain  number 
of  marks,  which,  if  the  maximum  are  gained,  will 
procure  him  the  sum  of  ten  shillings  at  the  end 
of  six  months,  or  a  proportionate  sum  for  any  less 
time.  Thus  those  who  leave  after  a  long  term 
may  have  two  or  three  pounds  to  receive,  while 
those  who  have  been  in  jail  for  only  a  few  weeks 
will  not  be  without  a  few  shillings. 

This  may  be  a  great  blessing  to  those  who  do 
well.  It  provides  them  with  a  little  capital  to 
start  with ;  or,  at  the  least,  finds  them  shelter  and 
food  while  they  are  considering  their  next  step. 
Where  there  is  a  Prison  Aid  Society  properly 
established,  at  the  discretion  of  the  governor  and 
the  agent  the  government,  in  really  deserving 
cases,  allows  an  additional  grant  to  be  made  to 
the  mark-money,  so  that  there  may  be  an  even 
larger  *'  nest-egg  "  for  starting  the  new  and  better 
career. 

This  mark-money  may,  however,  prove  a  great 
curse.  Before  I  began  my  work,  it  was  the  habit 
of  a  large  number  of  loafers  and  ne'er-do-wells 
to  gather  near  the  prison  gate,  opposite  to  which 
was  the  public-house ;  and  they  would  do  their 
best  to  entice  those  who  were  leaving  the  prison 


6o  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

to  come  across  for  drink,  with  the  almost  positive 
certainty  of  spending  the  whole  of  the  precious 
money  so  hardly  earned,  but  so  lightly  and  fool- 
ishly squandered  in  treating  the  entire  party.  In 
such  society  the  weak  resolution,  hardly  con- 
solidated as  yet,  will  soon  break  down,  and  within 
an  hour  the  whole  fabric  of  the  new  and  better 
life  rudely  and  irretrievably  demolished. 

It  was  always,  therefore,  my  plan  to  get  hold 
of  this  mark- money,  and  keep  it  until  I  knew  how 
it  was  to  be  spent.  All  agents  of  the  Prison  Aid 
Society  have  a  right  to  this,  and  the  prison  au- 
thorities are  only  too  glad  to  intrust  it  to  their 
care.  Besides,  there  is  an  advantage  to  the  pris- 
oner, because  his  meager  earnings  may  be  aug- 
mented, partly  from  the  government  funds  already 
alluded  to,  and  partly  from  the  funds  collected 
locally  for  the  support  of  the  branch.  Many  a 
time  have  men  been  thankful  that  the  spending 
of  the  money  w^as  not  left  to  them,  and  that  they 
could  say  truthfully  to  friends  and  others  that 
they  had  not  a  penny  in  their  pockets. 

This  money,  and  the  other  money  at  my  dis- 
posal, enabled  me  to  solve  some  of  the  difficulties 
about  work  to  which  I  have  alluded.  It  enabled 
me  to  set  up  several  on  their  own  account.  Many 
times  did  we  spend  five  shillings  in  a  peddler's 
license,  with  another  two  shillings'  worth  of  stock. 
Often  we  started  women  with  materials  to  make 


OUR  SYSTEM  OF  RELIEF  6 1 

fire-screens,  or  to  do  wool  and  fancy  work.  Those 
were  times  when  I  knew  all  the  kinds  of  fish  that 
were  in  season,  and  their  prices ;  and  enabled  my 
poor  clients  to  start  selling  fish,  or  oranges,  or 
other  market  commodities.  But  I  confess  that 
these  latter  were  not  very  satisfactory,  as  there 
was  such  a  temptation  to  live  out  of  the  total  re- 
ceipts, instead  of  laying  aside  a  certain  proportion 
of  the  takings  for  a  renewal  of  the  stock. 

Perhaps  the  most  useful  ways  of  expending  the 
money  were  in  getting  new  boots,  or  strong  ser- 
viceable clothes,  or  warm  shawls  for  the  women, 
and  in  procuring  tools  for  the  men.  The  under- 
standing always  was  that  they  should  get  the 
work  first,  and  bring  us  word  to  that  effect  on  a 
paper  bearing  the  name  of  the  firm  engaging 
them  ;  and  that  then  we  would  provide  them  with 
necessary  implements.  A  riveter's  kit  would  take 
a  few  shillings  only,  while  a  finisher's  would  cost 
a  pound  or  more,  A  spade  or  pickax  would  be 
serviceable  to  navvies. 

At  first  I  used  to  go  round  to  employers  of  labor 
soliciting  employment,  and  often  it  took  a  con- 
siderable slice  out  of  my  morning  to  go  from  one 
factory  to  another;  for  this  reason  I  was  finally 
obliged  to  relinquish  the  practice,  except  in  special 
cases.  It  really  was  better  to  promise  men  to 
support  them  for  a  day  or  two  while  they  were 
looking  for  work  for  themselves.     It  encouraged 


62  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

their  self-reliance,  and  they  were  generally  bet- 
ter able  to  ascertain  where  they  were  wanted.  I 
urged  them  also  to  come  to  see  me  at  the  coffee- 
house each  morning  to  tell  me  how  they  were 
going  on,  that  I  might  hearten  them  up  and  in- 
spire them  with  fresh  courage,  or  even  pray  with 
them.  Sometimes  I  would  write  a  letter  for  them 
to  take  to  some  friendly  employer.  It  was  a 
matter  also  of  distinct  faith  on  my  part  in  my 
heavenly  Father,  that  he  should  help  me  and 
cooperate  in  the  saving  of  these  men  from  relaps- 
ing into  their  old  ways.  Perhaps  it  would  be 
better  and  more  correct  to  say  that  I  cooperated 
with  him.  When  at  last  the  happy  moment  came 
that  work  had  been  obtained,  the  necessary  tools 
were  purchased,  and  I  felt  thankful  that  one  more 
discouraged  soul  had  the  chance  of  climbing  back 
to  respectability  and  honor. 

It  was  always  most  interesting  to  watch  the 
different  use  men  made  of  the  help  afforded  them. 
Sometimes  one  would  hear  nothing  at  all  of  them 
for  months  ;  and  then  suddenly  they  would  appear 
one  morning  in  the  coffee-house,  looking  happy, 
smart,  and  respectable,  with  a  grand  story  to  tell 
of  returning  prosperity.  In  one  or  two  such 
cases,  subscriptions  were  handed  over  to  me  to 
repay  anything  which  had  been  expended.  And, 
of  course,  w^arm  words  of  approval  and  encourage- 
ment were  given  and  received. 


OUR  SYSTEM   OF  RELIEF  63 

Once  as  I  was  walking  through  one  of  the 
principal  thoroughfares,  a  man  stopped  a  dashing 
pony-trap,  and  leaping  down,  shook  me  warmly 
by  the  hand,  saying,  "Look,  sir!  You  know 
what  you  did  for  me  at  a  certain  place :  this  is 
what  it  has  led  to."  He  was  engaged  in  a  flour- 
ishing business,  to  prosecute  which  he  had  bought 
this  neat  little  conveyance. 

Frequently  men  were  too  shy  to  come  to  me, 
lest  it  might  revive  the  memory  of  their  fall ;  but 
I  would  hear  that  they  were  doing  well,  and  freely 
forgave  them  for  not  wishing  to  identify  them- 
selves with  me  too  closely. 

But,  of  course,  there  were  many  disappoint- 
ments. Sometimes  it  would  be  almost  more  than 
I  could  bear ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  perpet- 
ual remembrance  of  the  much  patience  which  my 
Lord  had  had  with  me,  and  how  his  love  had 
conquered,  I  could  not  have  borne  the  terrible 
disasters  with  which  some  of  my  most  hopeful 
cases  met.  A  man  might  go  on  well  for  a  time, 
and  then  break  out  drinking  and  undo  everything, 
losing  situation,  self-respect,  clothes — everything. 
In  all  such  cases  it  was  useless  even  to  seem  to 
lose  one's  temper,  and  rate  the  delinquent.  To 
do  so  would  be,  perhaps,  to  drive  the  tempest- 
tossed  bark  from  its  only  haven.  Besides,  con- 
science had  already  used  its  scourge  pretty  se- 
verely.    And  so  I  always  endeavored  to  restrain 


64  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

any  feeling  of  natural  resentment,  and  allowed  my 
poor  proteges  to  see  that  their  fall  had  caused  me 
real  personal  sorrow.  The  grief  of  the  Christian 
soul  for  another's  sin  is  a  divine  alembic  for  purg- 
ing out  the  grosser  elements  from  that  other  soul. 
It  is  in  the  tears  of  Jesus  that  we  best  discern  the 
unutterableness  of  Jerusalem's  sin  and  doom. 

Love  alone  will  save  the  world.  As  ijt  is  with 
God,  so,  in  our  measure,  it  is  with  us.  Our 
methods  and  prophesyings  and  machinery  will 
fail  if  they  are  substituted  for  love.  But  where 
holy  love  is,  if  it  can  endure,  at  last  it  wins.  Prob- 
ably there  is  no  criminal,  however  debased,  who 
is  not  susceptible  to  love,  and  might  not  be  saved 
by  it.  Not  our  love,  but  the  love  of  God  shed 
abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 


VII. 
M^  toork  as  Banker 

"  Find  thy  reward  in  the  thing 

Which  thou  hast  been  blest  to  do ; 
Let  the  joy  of  others  cause  joy  to  spring 

Up  in  thy  bosom  too!  — 
And  if  the  love  of  a  grateful  heart 

As  a  rich  reward  be  given, 
Lift  thou  the  love  of  a  grateful  heart 
To  the  God  of  love  in  heaven! " 

MacDonald. 

ONE  morning  when  I  reached  the  prison,  I 
found  the  clerks  in  a  state  of  considerable 
excitement  over  a  man  who  was  to  receive  about 
£20,  which  he  had  brought  in  with  him  in  a  great 
medley  of  coins.  There  were  one  or  two  hand- 
fuls  of  them.  Now,  of  course,  while  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  hand  over  to  me  any  money  that  ac- 
crued to  the  prisoners  as  the  result  of  their  good 
behavior,  it  was  quite  impossible  to  intrust  me 
with  their  ow^n.  That  was  necessarily  handed 
over  to  them,  and  signed  for  by  them.  And  if  I 
was  to  get  hold  of  it  at  all,  it  had  to  be  by  their 
65 


66  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

own  deed  of  gift,  and  in  response  to  my  solicita- 
tions. Though  I  could  not,  therefore,  handle  that 
money  then,  I  resolved  to  keep  sharp  eyes  on  the 
owner,  and  to  get  it  from  him  if  I  could,  at  the 
earliest  moment. 

As  soon  as  we  had  got  outside  the  prison  gate 
I  saw  a  little  man  who  had  been  loitering  about 
accost  my  protege  in  a  suspiciously  familiar  man- 
ner, and  there  was  evidently  an  attempt  on  his 
part  to  induce  the  other  to  go  with  him  to  the 
public-house  across  the  road.  However,  to  my 
great  satisfaction,  I  saw  that  my  vivid  description 
of  all  the  blessings  which  would  accrue  from  a 
breakfast  with  me  at  the  coffee-house  had  been 
sufficiently  alluring  to  enable  him  to  remain  stead- 
fast to  his  promise  to  go  there.  So  we  all  went 
along  together.  While,  however,  my  attention 
was  being  given  to  others  of  my  morning  party, 
I  suddenly  missed  the  two.  I  looked  up  and 
down  the  road  in  vain.  There  was  no  trace  of 
them ;  and  I  instantly  suspected  that  probably 
the  little  man  had  a  shrewd  suspicion  of  that 
money,  the  same  as  I  had,  only  that  he  wanted 
to  spend  it  for  his  companion  in  scenes  of  dissipa- 
tion and  drunkenness.  Perhaps  they  had  already 
entered  a  public-house. 

As  soon  as  this  idea  flashed  through  my  mind,  I 
resolved  to  ransack  every  public-house  in  the  line 
of  march,  so  that  my  friends  might  not  escape  me. 


MY  WORK  AS  BANKER  6^ 

In  dealing  with  these  men  one  is  often  reminded 
of  the  experiences  of  the  salmon-fisher,  who  may 
have  hooked  a  strong  and  vigorous  fish,  but  has 
to  act  with  the  utmost  prudence  lest  his  prey  es- 
cape him  and  carry  off  line  and  hook  in  his  mad 
rush  to  his  native  depths.  As  the  skillful  fisher- 
man willingly  plays  with  his  prize  for  several 
hours,  content  to  keep  but  the  slenderest  hold  of 
it  if  only  he  may  succeed  at  last  in  drawing  it 
into  his  net,  so  the  fisher  for  souls  must  never  be 
disappointed,  though  at  first  his  best  efforts  are 
met  with  non-success ;  he  must  be  prepared  to 
give  out  line,  to  wait  patiently,  sometimes  to  lose 
sight  of  the  objects  of  his  solicitude  for  weeks 
together ;  yet  the  thread  of  love  may  follow  them 
into  the  deepest,  darkest  depths,  and  some  day, 
when  they  are  weary  of  themselves  and  of  sin, 
they  will  feel  its  gentle  drawing  and  follow  it  back 
to  your  side. 

I  went  into  one  or  two  public-houses  without 
success.  At  last,  as  I  was  beginning  to  despair, 
I  made  for  one  which  I  well  remember,  because, 
unlike  most  places  of  that  description,  in  which 
ingress  and  especially  egress  must  be  made  as 
easy  as  possible,  the  door  stood  at  the  top  of  three 
stone  steps.  I  pushed  it  open,  and  there,  sure 
enough,  the  two  men  stood  side  by  side  at  the 
bar,  with  two  pewter  pots  of  beer  in  front  of  them. 
They  were  laughing  together;  but  whether  I,  or 


68  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

their  escape  from  me,  was  the  subject  of  their 
merriment,  I,  of  course,  could  not  discover. 

"  Ah,  my  lads,"  said  I,  *'  you  have  made  a  mis- 
take! This  is  not  my  shop.  Come  along  with 
me,  and  I  will  put  you  right."  They  looked  very 
disconcerted,  and,  to  use  a  vulgar  expression, 
"  dropped  on."  However,  there  was  no  time  for 
explanation;  and  as  the  bar-maid  had  for  a  mo- 
ment left  the  counter,  and  no  one  else  was  there,  I 
was  able  to  sweep  them  both  out,  and  down  the 
steps  and  into  the  street,  before  they  realized 
what  was  happening.  I  never  inquired  whether 
or  no  that  beer  was  paid  for;  but  if  so,  I  am  only 
thankful  to  know  that  by  its  purchasers  at  least 
it  was  not  drunk.  Had  they  but  sipped  it,  I 
should  have  had  one  good  tale  less  to  tell ;  on  the 
waters  of  strong  drink  those  two  men  would  have 
drifted  beyond  my  reach. 

So  we  all  arrived  safely  at  the  coffee-house.  I 
secured  an  extra  good  breakfast  for  each  of  them ; 
and  as  I  write  I  think  I  can  see  them  sitting  at 
the  little  marble-covered  table  in  the  corner,  the 
tall  one  beside  me,  the  other  on  my  left  hand. 

When  they  were  in  the  middle  passage  of  the 
breakfast,  I  suddenly  turned  to  the  moneyed  man, 
and  said : 

"  My  friend,  you  have  got  well-nigh  twenty 
pounds  in  your  pocket." 

He  looked  at  me  keenly,  as  if  to  say,  "  How 


MY  IVORK  AS  BANKER  69 

do  you  know  that?  and  what  business  is  it  of 
yours?" 

The  other  man  also  stopped  eating,  and  looked 
hard  at  me,  evidently  suspecting  that  I  should 
.prove  a  formidable  rival  to  his  plans. 

**  Now,"  I  continued,  "  I  want  you  to  shell  out, 
and  hand  over  to  my  keeping  all  the  money  you 
have  in  your  pocket.  I  will  give  you  a  receipt 
for  it,  and  something  to  go  on  with  ;  but  will '  stick 
to '  the  rest  till  we  can  see  what  is  best  to  do 
with  it" 

My  friend  stared  at  me,  and  for  a  little  time 
was  lost  in  a  profound  reverie,  during  which  his 
little  companion  gave  signs  of  evident  perturba- 
tion and  excitement.  Finally,  the  great  hand  of 
the  discharged  prisoner  dived  down  into  the  ca- 
pacious pocket  of  his  trousers,  and  brought  up  a 
handful  of  coins,  gold,  silver,  and  copper,  hetero- 
geneously  mixed  together  with  string,  pencil,  and 
other  et  ceteras.  Throwing  them  all  down  on  the 
table  with  a  ring,  and  turning  to  me,  he  said : 

**  There's  the  lot,  sir;  take  care  of  them  for 
me."  So  I  took  possession  of  the  money,  care- 
fully counted  it,  gave  him  a  receipt,  swept  it  into 
my  pocket,  and  handed  him  a  couple  of  shillings 
for  immediate  necessities.  He  said  that  he  was 
desirous  of  leaving  Leicester  shortly,  en  route  for 
London  and  New  York.  We  made  an  appoint- 
ment of  day  and  hour  for  meeting  at  the  station, 


70  THE  BELLS  OF  IS    • 

and  in  the  meanwhile  I  directed  him  to  a  re- 
spectable place  where  he  would  be  able  to  pro- 
cure lodgings,  and  induced  him  to  sign  the  pledge 
before  he  left  the  place. 

At  the  appointed  time  I  met  him  at  the  station, 
with  his  money  in  rather  smaller  bulk.  He  met 
me  with  a  smile,  as  soon  as  he  saw  me  come  on 
to  the  platform. 

''  Sir,"  said  he,  ''  you  have  done  me  the  kind- 
est thing  that  any  one  could  have  done.  That 
money  which  you  took  care  of  was  sent  me  by 
my  brother,  who  is  doing  well  in  New  York  City, 
for  me  to  come  over  to  him  to  make  a  new  start. 
I  have  been  a  bad  'un,  I  can  tell  you.  But  it's 
about  time  that  I  did  make  a  new  start,  and  that's 
what  I  have  determined  to  do." 

"  I  am  glad-to  hear  it,"  I  replied. 

•*  Yes,  sir,"  said  he;  *'  I  thought  things  over  a 
good  bit  when  I  was  in  yon  place,  and  made  up 
my  mind  that  I  would  never  touch  the  drink 
again.  That's  been  my  downfall,  you  see.  If  I 
can  only  keep  from  the  drink,  my  brother  says 
he  will  make  a  man  of  me." 

Something  in  my  look  and  manner  probably 
recalled  to  him  the  scene  in  the  public-house, 
and  he  added : 

'*  You  remember  that  man — him  that  met  me 
when  I  came  out?  He  meant  me  no  good.  He 
knew  that  I  had  got  a  lot  of  '  the  needful,*  and 
he  came  to  help  me  spend  it.     I  am  glad  you 


MY  IVORK  AS  BANKER  J I 

saved  me  from  him ;  he  soon  dropped  off  when 
he  saw  that  you  had  cleared  me  out.  I  don't 
care  if  I  never  see  him  again.  But  it  was  a  close 
shave  that  morning." 

**  A  very  close  shave ;  but  how  did  you  come 
to  let  him  take  you  in  there?" 

**  I  don't  know,  sir;  but  I  am  one  of  those  easy- 
going chaps,  and  it's  so  hard  to  say  *  No.'  " 

Then  I  told  him  about  the  keeping  power  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  how  he  is  willing  to  enter  in 
and  hold  the  door  of  our  hearts  against  the  foe ; 
and  I  begged  him  to  hand  the  keeping  of  his 
soul  over  to  him. 

The  train  was  nearly  due ;  but  it  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  might  get  him  a  Testament, 
and  I  went  across  for  one  to  the  bookstall.  I 
could  find  nothing  but  a  copy  of  the  Revised 
New  Testament,  which  I  bought,  and  wrote  his 
name  and  mine  on  the  front  page,  adding  the 
words,  "  Meet  me  at  the  gate  of  the  Golden  City." 

His  train  then  came  into  the  station ;  and  he 
entered  the  carriage  with  many  an  expression  of 
thankfulness,  and  a  solemn  promise  that  it  should 
be  indeed  a  new  and  blessed  beginning. 

I  know  nothing  more  of  him,  though  I  have 
often  wondered  what  has  been  his  record  since ; 
but  I  trust  that  among  those  who  will  welcome 
me  there,  I  shall  meet  again  that  man  to  whom  I 
waved  good-by  as  his  train  steamed  out  toward 
London. 


VIII. 
^  Brace  of  £om\5 

**  Follow  with  reverent  steps  the  great  example 
Of  Him  whose  holy  work  was  '  doing  good.' 
So  shall  the  wide  earth  seem  our  Father's  temple, 
Each  loving  life  a  psalm  of  gratitude!" 

Whittier. 

JUST  one  more  incident  I  will  relate  to  show 
the  gratitude  with  which  my  poor  efforts  were 
repaid  by  these  discharged  criminals,  when  the 
grace  of  God  touched  their  hearts. 

On  one  occasion  I  was  preaching  in  a  Primitive 
Methodist  chapel  in  Leicestershire.  It  was  a  sum- 
mer's evening,  and  the  place  was  very  crowded. 
At  the  close  of  the  service  the  people  lingered, 
and  I  went  down  from  the  pulpit  among  them. 
Some  one  said  to  me : 

**  There  are  three  of  your  men  here,  sir." 

I  guessed  what  was  meant,  and  asked,**  Where?" 

Two  were  pointed  out  to  me  on  the  right  side 

of  the  building.     On  coming  out  of  jail  they  had 

signed  the  pledge,  and  on  returning  to  their  vil- 

72 


A   BRACE  OF  FOIVLS  y^ 

lage  had  been  saved  through  the  Salvation  Army, 
for  the  work  of  which  I  praise  God.  They  had 
risen  to  become  officers,  and  looked  thoroughly 
nice,  bright  fellows. 

What  a  blessing  would  come  to  our  churches 
if  only  they  were  to  insist,  as  the  Salvation  Army 
does,  on  all  their  members  binding  themselves  to 
total  abstinence!  What  a  marvelous  accession 
of  spiritual  and  moral  power  would  accrue  if  all 
Christian  people  would  rank  themselves  on  the 
side  of  total  abstinence,  as  a  safeguard  for  them- 
selves and  their  children,  and  as  a  protest  against 
the  giant  evil  of  our  time,  the  mother  of  all  woes ! 
The  strength  of  the  Salvation  Army  is  largely 
due  to  its  freedom  from  drink  and  smoking,  as  its 
lessons  of  self-control ;  and  to  its  teaching  that 
the  power  of  Christ  can  deliver  from  the  power 
of  sin  and  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil. 

I  shall  never  forget  going  on  one  Easter  Mon- 
day to  the  old  barracks  at  Leicester,  to  see  an  ex- 
hibition of  idols.  In  my  innocence  I  supposed 
that  they  were  missionary  trophies  from  the  South 
Seas  or  India,  To  my  surprise,  there  was  noth- 
ing of  the  kind ;  but  something  even  more  prac- 
tical, interesting,  and  striking.  For,  at  the  most 
solemn  part  of  the  service,  six  men  went  to  the 
rear  of  the  platform,  and  brought  out  six  large 
sheets  of  cardboard,  each  of  which  was  covered 
with   pipes,   tobacco-pouches,   cigarette-holders, 


74  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

dog-whistles,  ribbons,  bows,  trinkets,  and  many 
other  things,  all  of  which  had  been  surrendered 
as  having  obstructed  the  growth  of  the  inner  life. 
Would  that  all  who  are  so  eager  to  destroy  the 
gods  of  the  heathen  were  equally  watchful  to 
keep  themselves  from  idols! 

My  third  friend  was  on  the  other  side  of  the 
chapel,  and  I  made  my  way  to  him.  On  coming 
up  to  the  end  of  the  little  pew  where  he  was 
standing,  he  took  my  hand  in  his,  and,  falling  on 
his  knees,  kissed  it.  I  confess  that  it  made  the 
choking  sensation  come  in  my  throat.  And 
among  the  many  marks  of  gratitude  for  help  given 
in  the  hour  of  need,  I  do  not  think  that  any  ever 
made  a  deeper  impression.  Then,  rising  to  his 
feet,  he  said : 

''Bide  a  bit,  sir." 

In  another  moment  he  had  passed  me  and  shot 
out  of  the  door,  leaving  me  in  the  midst  of  the 
people,  who  seemed  unusually  interested  and 
amused,  as  they  crowded  round.  I  noticed  this, 
and  rather  wondered  at  it,  but  did  not  feel  per- 
turbed. God  has  ever  allowed  me  to  realize  in 
a  very  distinct  way  in  my  life  the  presence  and 
ministry  of  his  angels;  and  I  can  record  that  in 
all  my  dealings  with  men  in  drunken  frenzies,  and 
with  crowds,  as  well  as  in  my  many  journeyings 
by  land  and  water,  they  have  always  formed 
around   me  an  inviolable  cordon   of   protection. 


A  BRACE  OF  FOWLS  75 

Charge  seems  to  have  been  given  them  concern- 
ing me,  to  keep  me  in  all  my  ways. 

In  a  moment  or  two  the  man  returned  through 
the  chapel  doorway,  bearing  in  triumph  a  living 
token  of  his  gratitude.  At  first  I  could  hardly 
realize  what  it  was ;  but  on  closer  inspection  it 
proved  to  be  a  couple  of  live  fowls,  which,  hang- 
ing head  downward,  were,  one  from  each  hand, 
flapping  and  swaying  about  in  a  most  extraordi- 
nary manner.      Advancing  to  me,  he  said : 

"You  must  take  these  home  with  you,  sir." 

''  Not  likely,"  said  I ;  ''  I  couldn't  think  of  tak- 
ing such  a  gift  from  a  working-man." 

**  A}^,  but  ye  must  take  them ;  ye  have  done 
me  a  sight  more  good  than  the  gift  of  these  fowls 
will  do  me  harm,"  was  the  reply. 

And  then  I  learned  that  he  had  been  forty 
times  in  jail  through  drink,  but  on  the  last  occa- 
sion had  signed  the  pledge  with  me  and  kept  it ; 
had  been  rapidly  regaining  his  lost  place  in  the 
little  village ;  and  was  beginning  to  prosper  in  a 
small  way.  He,  too,  had  given  his  heart  to  God, 
and  was  living  a  Christian  life. 

Now,  I  was  in  a  considerable  dilemma.  On 
the  one  hand,  I  did  not  want  to  hurt  this  man's 
feelings ;  on  the  other,  I  did  not  know  what  to 
do  with  these  two  fowls.  I  should  have  to  take 
them  some  distance  home,  and  I  did  not  feel  sure 
of  being  able  to  kill  them  when  I  got  them  there. 


^6  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

I  knew,  too,  that  my  servant  was  very  timid,  and 
I  felt  sure  that  neither  of  us  could  wring  their 
necks.  Death  by  beheading,  strangulation,  or 
drowning  was,  of  course,  possible;  but  I  felt 
that  I  could  not  be  the  executioner.  I  suggested 
my  difficulty  to  my  friend,  amid  the  laughter  of 
the  people,  who  could  not  understand  how  the 
man  who  did  not  scruple  to  attack  the  devil  and 
his  kingdom  was  so  afraid  of  inflicting  pain  on 
these  two  birds.  Certainly  I  should  never  have 
shot  the  albatross  of  which  Coleridge  sings. 

"  I'll  soon  put  that  right,"  he  said,  as  he  again 
disappeared.  In  a  few  moments  he  was  back 
again,  having  committed  the  double  murder  on 
the  doorstep  of  that  little  chapel.  He  carried 
those  birds  to  the  station,  and  I  carried  them 
home  in  triumph  up  the  main  thoroughfare  of 
Leicester,  amid  the  amazement  of  the  passers-by, 
who  at  first  sight  may  have  thought  I  had  turned 
sportsman,  and  was  carrying  home  partridges  or 
pheasants.  But  they  soon  saw  it  was  neither, 
though  I  was  as  self-satisfied  as  if  it  were  my  first 
brace  of  grouse. 

They  were  very  good  eating  indeed.  I  ate  one, 
and  some  friends  ate  the  other.  They  needed 
no  sauce,  because  of  the  fragrant  kindness  of  the 
donor.  I  did  think  of  preserving  some  part  of 
the  plumage ;  yet  why  should  I  ?  for  I  need  no 
outward  symbol  of  that  man's  love ;  it  lingers  still 


A  BRACE  OF  FOIVLS  JJ 

in  my  heart,  as  the  aromatic  scent  in  the  drawer 
where  it  has  lain  in  years  gone  by.  These  are 
the  things  that  sweeten  Hfe,  and  give  it  meaning, 
and  come  back  again  and  again  on  the  memory 
with  unabated  loveliness.  Oh,  that  I  were  as 
true  and  tender  to  thee,  my  divine  Master,  as 
many  of  these  saved  ones  were  to  me ! 


IX. 
JJrison^rs'  ^ib  Societies 

"  Man  is  dear  to  man!  the  poorest  poor 
Long  for  some  moments  in  a  weary  life 
When  they  can  know  and  feel  that  they  have  been 
Themselves  the  fathers  and  the  dealers-out 
Of  some  small  blessings — have  been  kind  to  such 
As  needed  kindness." 

\YORDSWORTH. 

SHORTLY  after  I  had  commenced  my  work, 
I  learned  that  there  had  been  an  endeavor  on 
the  part  of  some  philanthropic  men  among  the 
magistrates  and  others  to  organize  a  branch  of 
the  Prisoners'  Aid  Society;  but  that  their  efforts 
had  failed  in  consequence  of  there  being  no  one 
who  was  specially  suited  or  willing  to  do  the 
practical  work.  This  want  was  now  met,  and 
there  was  no  further  reason  why  they  should  de- 
lay giving  practical  effect  to  their  intentions. 

Accordingly,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  instance 

of  my  valued  friend,  W.  J.  Freer,  Esq.,  whose  legal 

status  gave  him  unusual  influence  with  the  visiting 

justices  and  other  leading  men;   and  a  branch 

78 


PRISONERS'  AID  SOCIETIES  79 

society  was  formed,  of  which  he  was  appointed 
honorary  secretary,  and  I  honorary  agent. 

The  Prisoners'  Aid  Society  is  now  recognized 
by  the  authorities,  works  in  conjunction  with 
them,  and  is  even  subsidized  up  to  a  certain 
amount  from  a  central  fund.  When  a  long-term 
prisoner  is  to  be  discharged,  he  has  a  claim  not 
only  for  the  mark-money,  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken,  and  which  may  amount  to  £1  or  £^,  but 
on  the  recommendation  of  the  governor  he  may 
also  receive  additional  help  to  the  amount  of  ;^i 
or  £1  I  OS.  from  the  central  fund.  Where  a  branch 
of  the  Prisoners'  Aid  Society  is  in  existence,  this 
money  is  handed  over  to  the  agent  to  expend  it 
to  the  best  advantage.  This  gives  him  some  in- 
fluence over  the  newly  liberated,  and  keeps  the 
two  in  touch  at  least  till  all  the  money  is  expended. 

I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the  results  of 
the  prison  discipHne  on  these  long-term  men.  Of 
course  there  were  not  so  many  of  them  as  of  the 
others.  But,  with  very  few  exceptions,  there  was 
a  remarkable  gravity  and  seriousness  manifest  in 
their  bearing.  They  were  evidently  deeply  in 
earnest  to  make  good  the  resolutions  they  had 
formed  during  the  months  of  confinement.  And 
in  many  cases  they  spoke  with  high  appreciation 
of  the  benefit  they  had  received  from  the  services 
of  the  chaplain,  and  from  their  attendance  in  the 
prison  chapel.     I  believe  that  in  scores  of  instances 


8o  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

such  men  are  being  converted  to  God  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  working  freely  through  the  silence 
of  the  cell,  and  through  such  other  voices  as  speak 
from  time  to  time  to  their  hearts. 

It  is  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  importance 
of  the  appointment  of  really  converted  and  godly 
men  to  the  post  of  chaplain.  It  is  a  thousand 
pities  when  ritual  or  form  takes  the  place  of  simple 
gospel  teaching,  and  when  such  great  opportuni- 
ties are  intrusted  to  men  who  are  perfunctory  and 
careless,  ignorant  of  the  way  of  life  themselves, 
and  unable  to  instruct  others.  No  one  can  esti- 
mate the  marvelous  change  which  would  pass 
over  the  criminal  population  of  the  country  if  all 
the  prison  pulpits  were  occupied  by  men  of  God, 
intent  on  the  salvation  of  the  lost  and  fallen 
through  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
There  is  much  to  be  said  on  behalf  of  the  sys- 
tem which  obtains  in  Canada,  where  my  friend,  the 
late  Mr.  W.  H.  Howland,  ex-mayor  of  Toronto, 
told  me  that  he  and  others  had  access  to  the  pris- 
ons on  Sunday,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  Bible- 
classes  among  the  inmates;  the  result  of  which 
had  appeared  in  some  marvelous  conversions  to 
God. 

I  am  happy  to  say  that  my  relations  with  the 
late  Rev.  Mr.  James,  chaplain  of  the  Leicester 
jail,  were  of  the  most  pleasant  description.  We 
worked  together  for  the  salvation  of  those  who 


PRISONERS'  AID  SOCIETIES  8 1 

came  under  our  hands,  sorrowing  together  over 
our  failures,  and  rejoicing  in  common  successes. 
He  did  his  work  with  simplicity  and  grace,  and 
was  often  spoken  of  in  the  highest  terms  by  those 
who  had  benefited  by  his  teachings  and  influence, 
in  the  cell  quite  as  much  as  in  the  chapel. 

It  is  quite  refreshing  to  look  back  to  those  happy 
mornings.  I  can  fancy  myself  now  stepping 
through  the  little  doorway  into  the  prison,  nar- 
rowly watched  by  the  crowd  outside.  The  gate- 
keeper would  have  some  pleasant  welcome.  Then 
I  would  instantly  turn  to  the  row  of  men  and 
women  waiting  for  discharge,  and  perhaps  go  to 
speak  a  few  hearty  words  to  them.  Then  to  the 
office  to  write  their  names  in  my  book,  and  learn 
any  particulars  about  them  to  guide  me  afterward. 
And  it  is  only  fair  to  acknowledge  here  the  great 
kindness  and  civility  received  from  the  clerks,  who 
always  treated  me  as  a  friend.  In  the  meanwhile 
the  strains  of  music  and  singing  from  above  warn 
us  that  the  service  is  closing;  and  shortly  the 
chaplain  comes  to  say  farewell  to  those  who  are 
about  to  leave  him,  and  to  impress  on  one  or  two 
of  the  more  hopeful  his  parting  advice.  And 
now  down  the  long  corridor  leading  from  the 
private  house  are  heard  the  quick  steps  of  the 
governor  himself,  as  he  comes  for  the  discharge, 
accompanied  by  a  magnificent  dog  whom  I  had 
known  from  a  puppy,  and  who  was  either  a  for- 


82  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

midable  foe  or  an  affectionate  friend.  Then 
began  the  discharge,  which  I  have  already  de- 
scribed. 

Once  a  month  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  Pris- 
oners' Aid  Society,  after  the  visiting  justices  had 
gone  their  usual  round.  Many  of  them  stayed 
to  the  meeting ;  and  it  was  encouraging  to  receive 
the  tokens  of  good-will  and  appreciation  from 
men  whose  titles  and  positions  were  the  patents 
of  real  nobihty,  as  well  as  from  one's  fellow- 
townsmen.  At  these  meetings  a  report  was  given 
of  the  work  of  the  previous  month,  money  was 
voted,  and  special  cases  were  discussed. 

The  Prisoners'  Aid  Societies  only  deal  with  the 
long-term  cases.  Perhaps  that  system  cannot  be 
improved  on  in  deaHng  with  public  money ;  but 
it  is  a  great  mistake  for  any  town  to  be  content 
with  dealing  with  these  cases  only.  The  short- 
term  prisoners  may  include  many  of  the  incor- 
rigibles,  but  they  also  include  large  numbers  of 
first  offenders.  These  are  terribly  ashamed  as 
they  emerge  from  prison.  They  are  also  full  of 
good  resolutions,  which,  if  only  they  are  enabled 
to  carry  them  out,  will  bar  their  return  to  jail. 
They  have  been  suddenly  disillusionized,  and  are 
startled  to  see  the  real  character  of  their  life,  and 
look  eagerly  around  for  some  door  of  hope,  some 
ladder  by  which  to  climb  again  to  honor  and 
respectability.     *'  A  stitch  in  time,"  with  these, 


PRISONERS'  AID  SOCIETIES  83 

''will  save  nine."  If  the  first  breaking  in  of  the 
river  through  the  dam  is  stayed,  it  will  be  possi- 
ble to  save  the  dyke,  and  hold  back  the  volume 
of  water  behind.  Important  as  it  is  to  deal  with 
old  offenders,  it  is  doubly  so  to  arrest  those  who 
have  taken  but  the  first  step  in  forbidden  paths, 
and  whose  hearts  are  yet  open  to  the  sting  of  re- 
morse and  regret.  So  I  had  them  all  alike  to  the 
coiTee-house,  giving  special  attention  to  the  long- 
term  men ;  but  entertaining  all,  speaking  with  all, 
and  endeavoring  to  do  my  best  to  give  all  another 
start  in  the  world. 

I  have  never  cared  much  to  compute  or  print 
statistics;  they  are  a  very  inadequate  gauge  of 
work  done  ;  but  I  am  always  glad  to  recall  a  state- 
ment which  was  one  day  made  to  me,  that  the 
numbers  in  Leicester  Prison  had  gone  down  to 
the  extent  of  there  being  fifty  prisoners  less  at  the 
close  of  three  or  four  years'  work,  than  when  I 
began  to  visit  it.  In  other  words,  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  old  incorrigibles  had  been  converted 
and  reclaimed,  and  were  no  longer  turning  up 
time  after  time  for  being  drunk  and  disorderly. 
And  if  they  did  come  back,  I  really  believe  that 
the  shame  of  meeting  me  was,  in  some  cases,  al- 
most as  great  a  punishment  as  the  days  or  weeks 
of  confinement 

The  formation  of  this  branch  of  the  Prisoners' 
Aid  Society  enabled  us  to  appeal  to  our  fellow- 


84  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

townsmen  for  funds.  Before  this  I  had  received 
what  was  forwarded  to  me  privately ;  but  after- 
ward I  had  no  longer  any  thought  or  care  on  the 
score  of  subscriptions,  which  were  always  forth- 
coming, and  were  given  with  good-will.  Ah, 
Leicester  men  of  business,  I  shall  never  forget 
your  generous  appreciation  of  my  poor  work, 
culminating  as  it  did  in  the  pubhc  presentation 
of  that  illuminated  address — which  is  one  of  my 
priceless  treasures — and  of  the  purse  of  four  hun- 
dred guineas.  But  I  dare  not  begin  writing  thus, 
as  it  threatens  to  tear  open  old  wounds  and  make 
them  bleed  afresh.  How  did  I  come  ever  to 
leave  that  town !  — into  the  very  fabric  of  which 
my  heart  seemed  woven,  and  in  the  soil  of  which 
I  have  often  thought  I  would  like  at  last  to  lie 
amid  the  men  and  women  and  children  whom 
I  knew  and  lived  for.  But  He  has  ordered  it 
otherwise,  and  I  am  more  than  content:  for  a 
wide  door  and  effectual  is  opened  to  me  for  min- 
istry, and  I  am  surrounded  with  noble  and  true 
friends;  but  I  can  never  forget  the  old  ones,  or 
the  common  interests  which  confederate  the  citi- 
zens of  towns  that  are  not  too  huge  or  unwieldy 
to  lose  the  sense  of  solidarity. 

Since  I  left  the  town,  the  Prisoners'  Aid  So- 
ciety has  continued  its  noble  work,  and  has 
gathered  around  it  many  devoted  helpers,  who 
supplement  the  labors  of  its  efficient  and  pains- 


PRISONERS'  AID  SOCIETIES  85 

taking  agent,  Mr.  W.  H.  Morris.  It  is  a  great 
gratification  to  me  to  know  that  the  little  slip  I 
planted  In  fear  and  trembling,  beneath  their  care- 
ful tendance  is  becoming  a  strong  and  healthy 
tree. 


X. 

M^  ^ciatioMB  toitl)  tl)e  publicans 

'  *  Draw  through  all  failure  to  the  perfect  flower ; 
Draw  through  all  darkness  to  the  perfect  light ; 
Yea,  let  the  rapture  of  thy  spring-tide  thrill 
Through  me,  beyond  me,  till  its  ardor  fill 

The  ungrowing  souls  that  know  not  thee  aright, 
That  thy  great  love  may  make  of  me,  e'en  me, 
One  added  link  to  bind  the  world  to  thee." 

E.  S.  A. 

AT  this  point  I  should  Hke  to  give  some  few 
■^-~^  details  of  the  relations  into  which  my  work 
at  the  prison  gate  brought  me  with  the  Leices- 
ter liquor  dealers.  Before  I  commenced  it,  I  had 
been  deeply  interested  in  a  Blue  Ribbon  Mission 
conducted  by  a  prominent  evangelist,  in  which, 
during  a  campaign  of  three  months'  duration  in 
Leicester  and  the  neighborhood,  we  had  succeeded 
in  obtaining  no  less  than  one  hundred  thousand 
signatures  to  the  pledge  and  adopters  of  the  Blue 
Ribbon  badge.  I  was  chairman  of  the  committee 
which  arranged  this  campaign,  and  was  therefore 
brought  to  close  dealings  with  the  proprietors  of 
86 


MY  RELATIONS   IVITH   THE   PUBLICANS       87 

the  great  vested  interests  which  we  attacked  ;  and 
often  my  experiences  were  far  from  pleasant. 

On  one  occasion,  for  instance,  I  received  a 
threatening  letter  with  skull  and  cross-bones  at- 
tached to  it,  in  which  the  writer  urged  me  to  ab- 
stain from  further  agitation,  at  peril  of  my  receiv- 
ing physical  injury  from  those  whom  he  and  others 
were  resolved  to  employ.  On  another  occasion 
it  was  deemed  necessary  that  I  should  be  accom- 
panied home  through  certain  streets,  because  feel- 
ing was  running  very  high  through  our  attacks 
upon  the  liquor  traffic.  And,  in  point  of  fact, 
the  publican  party  were  suffering  such  serious 
losses  in  their  trade  from  the  reformation  which 
had  come  over  some  of  their  best  customers,  that 
they  had  every  reason  to  be  seriously  annoyed. 

Money  which  had  been  hitherto  expended  on 
drink  was  now  taken  to  butcher,  baker,  shoemaker, 
and  other  tradesmen,  for  the  purchase  of  neces- 
saries for  women  and  children.  It  was  said,  for 
instance,  by  one  butcher  in  a  poorer  district  of 
the  town,  that  on  former  Saturdays  he  had  been 
accustomed  to  provide  some  of  the  commoner 
parts  of  meat  from  which  women  might  pick  their 
little  pieces  for  the  following  day ;  but  that,  dur- 
ing that  Mission,  so  much  gold  was  brought  to 
him  for  the  best  joints  of  meat,  that  he  found  it 
difficult  to  get  it  changed !  So  I  was  not  in  very 
good  odor  with  the  publican  party  when  it  fell 


88  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

to  my  lot  to  undertake  the  mission  at  the  prison 
gate.  And  yet,  for  some  wonderful  reason,  after 
I  commenced  there  was  a  decided  revulsion  of 
feeling ;  and  I  am  glad  to  say,  on  behalf  of  the 
publicans  themselves,  that,  for  the  most  part,  they 
seemed  cordially  in  favor  of  the  work  of  reclama- 
tion in  which  I  was  engaged,  so  that  on  more  than 
one  occasion  they  furnished  me  with  monetary, 
as  well  as  practical,  help. 

Of  course,  the  owner  of  the  public-house  im- 
mediately opposite  the  prison  gate  could  not  look 
with  complacency  upon  the  work  which  was  turn- 
ing the  tide  of  custom  from  himself  to  the  coffee- 
house, and  diminishing  his  yearly  revenue  by 
quite  ;^ioo.  Very  often  little  parties  would  sally 
forth  from  his  bar  parlor,  to  accost  and,  if  possi- 
ble, induce  the  men  and  women  that  were  coming 
out  of  jail  to  leave  me  and  go  with  them.  On 
several  occasions  we  seemed  in  danger  of  di  fracas 
in  the  public  road,  as  the  two  parties  were  en- 
gaged in  wrangling  over  some  undecided  indi- 
vidual, who  was  not  unwilling  to  leave  the  result 
to  be  determined  by  strength  of  will  or  muscle. 

In  all  such  conflicts,  however,  one  was  con- 
scious of  having  the  sympathy  of  even  the  lower 
and  more  disorderly  classes,  who  would  often 
advise  these  people  to  come  with  me,  saying, 
''  He's  all  right ;  you  need  not  fear  to  go  with 
him."     And  I  am  afraid  that  sometimes  people 


MY  RELATIONS   IVITH   THE   PUBLICAMS       89 

came  to  me  with  a  secret  understanding  that 
when  they  had  got  all  they  could  they  intended 
to  return  to  the  public-house. 

Sometimes  I  would  go  to  see  after  my  men 
in  public-house  parlors,  and  have  always  been 
kindly  received.  And  if  it  had  been  possible,  I 
should  not  have  flinched  from  spending  my  hours 
at  night  in  these  places,  conversing  with  the  in- 
mates and  showing  them  that  Christian  men  were 
prepared  to  come  wherever  there  was  an  oppor- 
tunity of  influencing  the  dupes  of  intemperance 
for  a  nobler,  purer  life.  On  one  occasion,  I  re- 
member, a  liquor  dealer  sent  for  me  to  adjust  a 
dispute  in  his  household,  and  arbitrate  between 
himself  and  one  of  his  servants.  The  more  one 
knows  of  the  curse  that  the  drink  brings  with  it 
to  those  that  sell  it,  the  more  one  pities  liquor 
dealers  and  their  families.  Many  of  them  have 
been  employed  in  respectable  households  and 
brought  up  under  Christian  influences  ;  but  when 
once  embarked  in  this  traffic,  they  lose  all  respect 
for  themselves  and  all  hope  of  living  a  Christian 
life,  and  become  henceforth  condemned  in  their 
consciences  and  hardened  in  their  hearts.  Would 
that  .all  Christians  would  do  their  utmost  to  sup- 
port the  agitation  on  behalf  of  the  Sunday  closing 
of  public-houses;  if  not  in  the  interests  of  the 
community  at  large,  at  least  in  those  of  the  deal- 
ers themselves. 


90  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

One  amusing  incident  happened  toward  the 
close  of  my  Leicester  work.  One  morning  there 
came  out  of  jail  the  keeper  of  a  neighboring  ceme- 
tery, who  was  therefore  something  more  respect- 
able than  the  ordinary  run  of  those  that  came 
into  my  hands.  He  accepted  my  invitation  to 
come  to  the  coffee-house,  where  he  was  met  by 
his  wife  and  two  daughters,  and,  as  they  seemed 
well-to-do  people,  I  conducted  them  from  the 
lower  hall,  in  which  my  men  generally  partook 
of  their  breakfast,  into  an  upper  room  where  they 
could  enjoy  comparative  privacy.  The  whole 
party  was  at  once  provided  with  the  usual  coffee, 
rolls,  and  ham ;  and  the  breakfast  was  proceed- 
ing merrily  when  I  sat  down  in  the  midst  of  the 
little  party  and  said : 

**  My  friend,  what  do  you  say  to  signing  the 
pledge  this  morning?  You  know  as  well  as  I  do 
that  you  have  been  falling  under  the  power  of 
drink,  or  you  would  never  have  come  into  this 
position." 

*'Well,  sir,"  said  he,  "I  can  tell  you  I  have 
been  thinking  a  lot  about  it  since  I've  been  in 
yon  place,  and  have  almost  made  up  my  mind 
to  chuck  the  whole  thing  up." 

"You  will  sign  the  pledge,  then?  "  said  I. 

''Yes,"  said  he;  ''but  I'll  tell  you  what— I 
have  made  up  my  mind  to  have  a  pint  of  porter 
first" 


MY  RELATIONS   IVITH    THE   PUBLICANS       9 1 

"A  pint  of  porter! "  said  I  in  dismay.  '*  What's 
the  good  of  waking  up  the  thirst  for  it,  when  you 
have  been  all  these  days  free?" 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  it  would  be  a  wrong  thing 
for  a  man  to  make  a  vow  and  not  keep  to  it." 

"  But  aren't  there  some  vows  better  broken 
than  kept?"  said  I.  ''Don't  you  remember,  in 
the  Bible,  that  Herod  made  a  vow  of  which  he 
repented?  Come,  my  friend,  you'd  better  break 
a  bad  vow  than  keep  it,  any  day." 

"No,"  said  he;  "I'm  one  of  those  men  that 
can  be  led,  but  not  driven — ain't  I,  wife?  "  as  he 
looked  toward  her  with  a  scowl. 

"Yes,"  said  the  wife  meekly  ;  "  w^e  know  that." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  if  you  have  that  pint  of  por- 
ter, will  you  give  me  your  solemn  word  and  honor 
that  you  will  sign  the  pledge  immediately  after; 
and  will  you  give  me  your  hand  upon  it?  " 

He  said,  "  All  right,  sir,"  and  he  grasped  my 
hand. 

Now%  I  was  in  such  a  position  that  I  did  not 
dare  to  send  any  of  the  men  who  were  at  that 
time  assisting  me  into  the  public-house  hard  by, 
to  get  that  pint  of  porter ;  and  I  knew  that  there 
was  no  one  on  the  premises  belonging  to  the 
coffee-house  company  whom  I  could  employ  for 
such  a  purpose.  And  so,  as  there  was  nothing 
else  to  do,  I  caught  up  the  first  jug  that  was 
within  reach  and  sallied  forth  to  the  public- house 


92  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

at  the  opposite  corner,  to  get  this  pint  of  porter. 
I  think  it  was  nearly  the  only  time  in  my  Hfe  that 
I  had  purchased  porter  at  a  public-house,  and  I 
felt  very  strange.  The  bar-maid  who  served  me 
looked  at  me  with  such  amazement  that  I  think 
she  supposed  that  I  had  suddenly  lost  my  reason. 
I  assured  her,  however,  that  this  was  the  final 
pint ;  and  explained  to  her  that  it  was  not  for 
myself,  but  for  a  man  in  whom  I  was  deeply  in- 
terested. 

On  arriving  again  at  my  little  breakfast-party, 
with  the  jug  and  glass  in  hand,  I  poured  the  por- 
ter out  as  quietly  as  possible,  without  the  '*  head  " 
which  porter  drinkers  are  accustomed  to  appre- 
ciate. He  took  the  glass  and  began  to  drink. 
At  each  gulp,  his  wife,  daughter,  and  I  gave  such 
a  unanimous  groan  that,  after  two  or  three  efforts, 
he  put  down  the  remainder,  and  said : 

'*  This  is  the  miserablest  pint  of  porter  that  I 
ever  drank.  Where's  your  card,  sir?  I  may  as 
well  sign  it  as  drink  any  more." 

And  so  he  signed  the  pledge,  and  afterward 
obtained  a  situation  as  a  gardener,  not  very  far 
from  Melbourne  Hall.  One  of  my  working-men 
friends,  who  heard  the  story  and  had  become  in- 
terested in  him,  went  a  mile  out  of  his  way  each 
Sunday  morning  to  fetch  him  to  the  service,  with 
the  result  that  he  was  shortly  after  converted  to 
God.     Before  I  left  Leicester,  I  had  the  pleasure 


MY  RELATIONS   IVITH    THE   PUBLICANS       93 

of  meeting  him  and  his  wife,  looking  perfectly 
transformed  and  radiant  with  thankfulness  for 
the  blessing  which  had  been  brought  into  their 
lot. 

This  incident,  somehow,  got  into  the  local 
papers,  and  sent  a  laugh,  at  my  expense,  all 
through  Leicester.  But  a  more  serious  result 
was  that  I  received  a  letter  from  the  coffee-house 
company — whether  in  joke  or  earnest  I  never 
could  quite  make  out — asking  me  that  I  should 
never  again  use  their  precious  crockery  for  carry- 
ing anything  stronger  than  coffee.  Of  course  I 
wrote  a  very  polite  and  humble  letter  back.  But 
I  am  not  sure  whether  I  would  not  repeat  the 
offense  if  I  had  the  chance ;  and  I  would  be  pre- 
pared to  do  a  great  deal  more  if  I  could  only 
induce  another  man  to  sign  the  pledge,  and  aban- 
don the  use  of  that  greatest  foe  of  domestic 
blessedness  and  manly  virtue. 

Once  more,  as  I  close  this  reminiscence,  I  would 
urge  on  all  Christian  people  who  may  read  these 
words  the  duty  which  is  incumbent  upon  them 
of  coming  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the 
mighty;  of  abandoning  at  their  own  tables  and 
in  their  own  use  this  accursed  thing ;  and  of  tak- 
ing a  pronounced  and  active  interest  in  the  cause 
of  Christian  Total  Abstinence.  It  is,  of  course, 
wise  to  set  on  foot  all  those  agencies  which  will 
improve  the  well-being  of  the  people,  for  it  is  cer- 


94  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

tain  that  adverse  social  and  physical  conditions 
conduce  very  much  to  the  use  of  intoxicants; 
but  there  is  probably  no  other  way  of  saving 
those  who  have  already  fallen  into  this  fatal  habit, 
than  by  abjuring  the  use  of  alcohol  for  one's  self, 
and  then  exerting  that  personal  influence  which 
is  so  often  the  means,  in  the  hands  of  God,  of 
winning  a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  ways,  and 
covering  a  multitude  of  sins. 


XI. 
**  J)rot)ibence  i^ouse'' 

"  I  am  glad  to  think 
I  am  not  bound  to  make  the  world  go  right ; 
But  only  to  discover  and  to  do, 
With  cheerful  heart,  the  work  that  God  appoints. 

I  will  trust  in  him, 
That  he  can  hold  his  own." 

Jean  Ingelow. 

WHEN  I  commenced  my  mission  at  the  prison 
gate,  I  endeavored  to  find  work  for  m.y  pro- 
teges by  going  with  them  to  various  manufacturers 
that  were  known  to  me,  and  to  others  who  were 
not  so  well  known.  And  I  will  say,  with  grati- 
tude, that  I  was  received  with  uniform  kindness; 
and  in  many  cases  every  endeavor  was  made  to 
help  me.  But  it  was  not  entirely  satisfactory — 
partly  because  the  heads  of  the  firms  left  their 
departments  almost  entirely  to  their  managers, 
with  whom  they  did  not  care  to  interfere ;  and 
partly  because  it  was  often  prejudicial  to  a  work- 
man to  seem  too  entirely  under  the  patronage  of 
''a  parson."  Besides  this,  I  had  no  opportunity 
95 


96  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

of  keeping  in  touch  with  men  who  needed  my 
help  and  guidance.  And,  in  addition,  it  consumed 
so  much  of  my  time  to  go  round  the  town  from 
one  to  another,  waiting  to  see  those  who  could 
help  me. 

Of  course  there  were  a  great  many  cases  in 
which  men  who  came  out  of  prison  went  back  to 
their  former  berths,  or  were  able  to  find  employ- 
ment for  themselves.  I  am  not  no\v  speaking  of 
these ;  but  of  those  who  had  no  employment  to 
turn  to,  and  perhaps  no  trade  at  their  fingers' 
ends  by  which  to  support  themselves.  This  latter 
was  rather  a  numerous  class ;  and  I  found  it  most 
needful  to  set  all  such  to  work  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, before  they  relapsed,  under  the  pressure  of 
their  companions,  into  their  former  sins. 

This  led  me  to  wonder  whether  it  might  not 
be  possible  to  start  some  kind  of  manufacture  of 
my  own,  in  which  I  could  employ  and  super- 
vise those  who  gave  signs  of  being  willing  to  help 
themselves  if  an  opportunity  were  offered  them. 
The  first  attempt  was  made  in  a  cellar,  where  two 
men  started  chopping  wood  and  making  it  up  in 
bundles.  The  only  outlay,  so  far,  was  in  chop- 
pers, string,  etc.,  and  I  was  encouraged  to  go  for- 
ward. Next  to  this,  a  small  factory  was  taken, 
with  a  room  below  and  one  above,  where  we 
were  able  to  employ  more  hands,  and  began  to 
do  a  much  larger  trade.     One  of  my  working- 


''PROVIDENCE  HOUSE''  97 

men,  who  was  a  shoe-finisher,  kindly  brought  his 
work  away  from  his  own  home,  and  did  it  on  the 
premises,  looking  after  the  men  at  the  same  time. 
The  goods  were  taken  out  first  in  a  truck,  and 
then  by  a  small  pony-cart ;  and  though  I  did  not 
make  any  profit,  there  was  no  loss,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  we  were  on  the  right  track. 

There  was  one  lack,  however — we  had  the  men 
during  the  day,  but  we  had  not  sufficient  control 
over  them  at  night ;  and  it  seemed  that  if  only 
we  could  have  a  place  where  they  might  work 
during  the  day  and  sleep  at  night,  without  the 
necessity  of  going  out  for  any  purpose  whatever, 
it  might  be  the  means  of  delivering  them  from 
temptation,  and  at  the  same  time  of  instilling  into 
their  minds  the  principles  of  the  gospel  of  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

While  these  thoughts  were  passing  through 
my  head,  I  happened  to  hear  of  a  large  disused 
yard  and  workshops,  formerly  occupied  by  a 
builder  and  contractor,  and  to  be  had  at  a  re- 
duced rent.  I  went  to  see  them,  and  at  once 
felt  that  this  was  the  very  accommodation  we 
required.  The  premises  were  within  a  quarter 
of  an  hour's  walk  from  my  house.  On  the  left 
hand  of  the  entrance  was  a  house  which  would 
suit  well  for  the  manager,  and  for  the  nucleus  of 
a  Boys'  Refuge  in  the  upper  story.  Going  down 
the  yard,  on  the  right,  was  a  stable  with  a  loft, 


98  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

that  could  be  adapted  for  a  mess-room  and  sleep- 
ing-room ;  while  at  the  end  of  the  yard  was  a  long 
workshop,  open  below,  but  closed  in  the  upper 
room,  in  which  I  could  carry  on  all  my  work. 
A  long  wall  running  on  the  right-hand  side  of 
the  yard,  opposite  the  stable  before  mentioned, 
afforded  ample  opportunity  for  the  erection  of 
separate  wooden  workshops,  as  soon  as  all  our 
space  in  the  more  permanent  building  was  occu- 
pied.     But  the  rent  was  i^ioo  per  annum. 

It  was  vain  to  think  of  linking  on  so  great  a 
work  to  the  Prisoners'  Aid  Society ;  nor  did  I 
feel  able  to  form  a  separate  committee  for  this 
special  agency.  It  was  laid  on  my  heart,  there- 
fore, to  assume  the  entire  responsibility,  with  no 
treasurer  but  the  Lord  himself.  I  did  not  under- 
take it  without  much  thought  and  prayer.  Like 
Peter,  I  kept  saying,  ''  If  it  be  thou,  bid  me 
come!"     Then  I  waited  for  his  reply. 

It  came  at  last.  I  was  in  the  train  on  my  way 
to  spend  two  or  three  days  at  Llandudno,  when 
as  distinctly  as  possible  I  became  conscious  of 
the  impression  that  I  was  to  go  forward ;  and 
that  my  God  would  be  my  treasurer  and  guide, 
failing  me  in  no  good  thing,  but  leading  me  for- 
ward a  step  at  a  time.  It  is  a  glad  thing  for  a 
man  w^hen  he  receives  such  an  intimation  as  I  did 
then.  Nothing  can  hurt  him,  nothing  daunt.  All 
his  need  is  met  as  it  arises  from  those  inexhaust- 


''PROVIDENCE  HOUSE"  99 

ible  stores ;  and  he  realizes  that  the  work  is  no 
longer  his,  but  God's  through  him,  and  that  the 
whole  weight  of  the  responsibility  is  on  the  shoul- 
ders that  bear  the  worlds.  This  is  my  record  to 
the  glory  of  God — that  he  never  failed  me.  I  had 
to  use  some  of  my  own  capital  for  that  business ; 
I  passed  through  some  terrific  difficulties ;  I  had 
much  to  plan  and  arrange ;  there  was  a  great 
expenditure  of  time  and  energy ;  but  I  never  re- 
gret having  gone  into  it.  There  are  fruits  of  the 
work  existing  in  many  places ;  and  when  I  left 
Leicester,  it  was  so  arranged,  through  the  good- 
ness of  God,  that  every  penny  of  my  private  in- 
come was  replaced,  so  that  I  was  not  one  tittle 
the  poorer  than  when  I  started  on  an  enterprise 
which  to  the  eye  of  sense  seemed  altogether 
quixotic  and  absurd.  If  a  man  is  sure  that  he  is 
on  God's  plan,  let  him  go  forward,  stepping  down 
even  on  the  waves — he  cannot  be  ashamed.  On 
my  return  from  Llandudno — it  was  a  Saturday 
afternoon,  which  I  remember  well — I  sat  down 
and  wrote  my  acceptance  of  this  big  place,  at 
this  annual  rental,  for  the  term  of  three  years ; 
and  also  made  an  entry  in  my  diary  that  I  under- 
took it  in  partnership  with  God,  as  a  member  in 
a  great  firm  or  fellowship,  in  which  the  division 
was  thus — he  to  find  all  the  money  and  guidance 
necessary ;  I  to  yield  my  brain  and  hands  that  he 
might  use  them  to  execute  his  designs.      That 


lOO  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

evening  a  friend  gave  me  my  first  donation,  of 
;^20.  I  received  it  with  deep  emotion.  It  ap- 
peared to  be  so  evidently  the  Lord's  assurance ; 
and  I  determined  to  call  the  place  "  Providence 
House." 

The  process  of  adaptation  took  some  little 
time.  The  drains  of  the  stable  were  plugged  up 
with  cement,  the  stalls  removed,  and  the  place 
transformed  into  a  comfortable  mess-room  and 
kitchen,  with  cooking- range.  The  harness-room 
was  turned  into  a  lavatory.  The  hay-loft  was 
fitted  up  with  nineteen  beds,  after  necessary  alter- 
ations and  enlargement.  A  number  of  beds  were 
also  put  into  the  upper  rooms  of  the  manager's 
house. 

In  the  workshop  a  crank  for  hand  labor  was 
erected  to  turn  the  circular  saw,  with  which  it 
was  connected  through  a  fly-wheel  and  leathern 
bands.  And  along  the  wall  a  number  of  cozy 
wooden  workshops  were  put  up,  in  which  men 
might  sit,  working  alone,  and  tying  the  chopped 
wood  into  bundles. 

The  neighbors  heard  of  my  intentions  with  dis- 
may. The  idea  that  I  should  establish  a  settle- 
ment of  jail-birds  in  the  midst  of  so  respectable 
a  quarter !  Landlords  wrote  remonstrating  with 
me  for  bringing  down  the  price  of  property. 
Town  councilors  were  urged  to  bring  the  matter 
forward  in  the  municipal  meeting.      And  lock- 


''PROVIDENCE  HOUSE"  lOI 

smiths  had  quite  a  busy  time  of  it  in  making  good 
old  and  broken  locks,  fitting  keys,  and  preparing 
against  a  siege,  if  the  need  should  arise.  Thank 
God,  the  event  proved  that  none  of  these  prepa- 
rations were  needed.  No  harm  came  of  my  little 
settlement.  In  time  prejudice  was  disarmed; 
and  the  people  would  open  their  windows  at  our 
prayer  times,  that  they  might  hear  our  men  sing 
the  praises  of  God. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  my  own  people  had 
begun  to  take  an  unexpected  interest  in  the  work. 
The  ladies  looked  after  the  furnishing.  One  gave 
all  the  blankets,  a  second  the  sheets,  a  third  the 
coverlets.  Some  gave  one  thing,  some  another,  as 
the  Lord  prompted  them.  Difficulties  were  over- 
come with  the  sanitary  authorities  and  others; 
and  at  last  the  opening  day  came,  and  the  Dedi- 
cation Service.  This  service  was  held  in  the 
upper  room  of  the  long  workshop,  and  the  place 
was  formally  handed  over  to  God  for  his  use  and 
blessing ;  and  he  at  least  never  forgot  that  it  was 
from  the  first  thus  intrusted  to  him.  After  the 
meeting,  the  people  went  all  around,  inspecting 
the  arrangements,  and  full  of  interest  and  expec- 
tancy as  to  the  results. 

We  then  began  to  fill  up  the  beds,  and  to  take 
in  likely  cases.  There  was  no  difficulty  in  this, 
as  we  had  a  constant  stream  pouring  out  of  the 
prison,  besides  many  old  hands.     Our  first  idea 


102  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

was  to  feed  the  men  as  part  of  their  earnings; 
but  we  found  that  each  man  preferred  to  be  his 
own  cook.  So  we  ultimately  arranged  to  pay 
about  one  shilling  and  threepence  for  hand  labor 
in  turning  the  crank,  and  about  one  shilling  and 
sixpence  for  making  up  bundles.  Out  of  this  we 
expected  fourpence  to  be  returned  to  us  for  the 
bed,  and  the  rest  was  largely  used  to  provide 
food.  If  there  were  a  surplus,  we  received  it, 
allowing  it  to  accumulate  toward  the  purchase  of 
articles  of  clothing. 

Thus  the  men  lived  with  us — working  in  the 
sheds  during  the  day ;  sleeping  under  our  roof  at 
night :  and  constantly  plied  with  those  high  and 
holy  motives  which  come  from  repeated  services 
and  contact  with  Christian  men.  The  latter  is  a 
principle  of  the  highest  importance  in  redemptive 
work;  and  it  has  been  largely  adopted  by  the 
Moravians,  whose  "  brothers  "  work  beside  those 
whom  they  would  save,  esteeming  it  a  sufficient 
reward  if  by  their  presence  they  can  stay  the 
spread  of  corruption,  or  instill  the  precepts  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ. 


XII. 
1  jBecome  a  Sixc^mooh  illercl)ant 

"  Nay,  best  it  is,  indeed, 
To  spend  ourselves  upon  the  general  good ; 
And,  oft  misunderstood, 

To  strive  to  lift  the  limbs,  and  knees  that  bleed ; 

This  is  the  best,  the  fullest  meed. 
Let  ignorance  assail  or  hatred  sneer ; 
Who  loves  his  race,  he  shall  not  fear." 

Lewis  Morris. 

AND  SO  it  befell  that  I  became  a  Fire-wood 
i~^  Merchant,  and  had  faint  hopes  of  making 
my  fortune!  I  purchased  two  horses  and  three 
carts,  which  went  out  laden  with  fire-wood  two 
or  three  times  a  day,  in  charge  of  my  drivers, 
who  usually  disposed  of  their  stock.  And  the 
Leicester  folk  awoke  amusedly  to  see  ''  F.  B. 
Meyer,  Fire-wood  Merchant,"  among  the 
other  businesses  for  which  that  famous  town 
was  noted. 

At  first  the  anxiety  was  very  oppressive ;   and 
I  sometimes  wonder  how  I  was  able  to  bear  the 
strain  of  it,  combined  with  my  work  at  the  prison, 
103 


104  T^^  BELLS   OF  IS 

which  I  never  neglected,  and  my  preaching,  pas- 
toral, and  other  ministerial  duties.  For  at  that 
time  Melbourne  Hall,  with  all  its  great  opera- 
tions, was  in  full  work ;  and  I  had  each  Sunday 
night  a  crowded  audience  of  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred people,  of  which  thoughtful  men  formed  a 
large  proportion. 

It  was  not  always  easy  to  keep  up  a  supply  of 
wood  with  a  comparatively  limited  capital.  Then 
there  was  considerable  anxiety  w4th  the  tramps 
and  others  who  turned  the  crank  of  the  circular 
saw.  There  was  also  the  need  to  see  after  the 
bundles  of  wood,  which  were  made  up  in  the 
little  sheds,  in  which  each  man  sat  at  work  by 
himself.  Sometimes  these  bundles  were  too  large, 
or  too  small,  or  too  loosely  tied ;  or  the  wood 
looked  common  and  dirty,  preventing  our  sales. 
In  addition  to  all  of  which,  the  salesmen  did  not 
always  do  their  work  as  well  as  they  might.  But 
all  these  things  drove  me  very  near  God.  It 
really  seemed  as  though  I  were  in  partnership 
with  him,  and  were  counting  on  him  at  every 
step.  I  owed  much  also  to  my  manager,  who 
did  his  best  to  assist  me,  and  has  since  taken  on 
the  business.  It  was  a  pleasure  for  me  to  arrange 
such  terms  as  made  it  easy  for  him  to  do  so. 

But  from  time  to  time  extraordinary  difficulties 
arose.  Here  is  a  sample.  I  had  always  taken  a 
leading  part  in  the  temperance  and  Blue  Ribbon 


/  BECOME  A  FIRE-WOOD  MERCHANT      1 05 

movements ;  and  the  committee,  of  which  I  was 
president,  was  constantly  engaged  in  a  crusade 
against  public-houses  in  Leicester  and  the  neigh- 
borhood. On  one  occasion  we  promoted  a  depu- 
tation to  ask  the  magistrates  to  reduce  the  num- 
ber of  grocers'  licenses. 

It  is  not  easy  to  gauge  the  amount  of  injury 
done  through  the  sale  on  the  part  of  grocers  of 
wines  and  spirits.  Many  a  woman  first  learns  to 
drink  by  the  temptation  thus  put  into  her  way. 
And  it  is  so  easy  for  her  to  get  drink  wn'thout  at- 
tracting the  notice  of  her  neighbors  by  going 
or  sending  to  the  public-house.  Besides,  in  the 
wxekly  account  the  liquor  suppHed  to  her  can 
go  down  among  the  groceries  ;  and  many  a  work- 
ing-man has  bitterly  rued  the  day  when  the 
drink  came  into  his  home  by  way  of  the  grocer's 
shop. 

To  reduce  the  number  of  these  licenses  was 
our  aim;  and  a  map  was  prepared,  dotted  with 
round  red  spots,  each  of  which  indicated  the  pres- 
ence of  a  liquor  shop.  On  the  morning  when 
the  deputation  met  at  the  Temperance  Hall  with 
the  view  of  proceeding  to  the  magistrates,  it  was 
suddenly  discovered  that  the  prominent  men  who 
were  to  have  headed  the  deputation  had  not 
come.  A  hurried  consultation  was  held,  and  it 
was  unanimously  agreed  that  the  office  should 
be  assigned  to  myself.     I  was  not  altogether  un- 


I06  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

aware  what  it  would  involve,  but  I  dared  not 
flinch.  It  has  always  been  a  habit  with  me  not 
to  put  on  others  work  which  I  would  not  do  my- 
self, and  so  I  undertook  the  duty. 

The  court  was  crowded  with  the  liquor  dealers 
and  their  friends — with  young  lawyers  who  en- 
joyed the  opportunity  of  baiting  the  saints;  with 
policemen  and  officials.  We  made  our  statement, 
enforced  the  undesirableness  of  multiplying  the 
objectionable  licenses,  and  did  our  best  to  impress 
the  Bench,  which  gave  us  a  friendly  hearing.  In- 
deed, in  their  private  capacity,  all  the  magistrates 
were  friends  of  mine  ;  though  on  such  an  occasion 
we  preserved  a  decorous  distance.  So  we  with- 
drew. 

But  then  the  storm  broke.  In  the  evening 
notices  w^ere  sent  out,  and  a  meeting  of  the  drink- 
sellers  was  held  to  discuss  the  situation,  and  es- 
pecially my  action.  It  was  then  unanimously 
agreed  that  as  I  had  dared  to  interfere  with  their 
trade,  they  would  "  boycott  "  my  fire- wood  ;  and 
as  my  principal  business  was  done  among  small 
grocers,  this  was  a  very  serious  matter.  No  gro- 
cer who  had  a  license  was  free  to  buy  our  wood. 
Every  epithet  was  heaped  on  me.  Every  bar- 
room rung  with  execration.  And  I  was  dared 
to  go  down  certain  streets  of  Leicester,  under 
pain  of  personal  violence.  I  walked  down  those 
streets  the  next   day  or  two  after  in  the  most 


/  BECOME  A  FIRE-WOOD  MERCHANT      107 

leisurely  way,  knowing  that  those  who  brag  most 
are  cowards  at  heart. 

Still  it  was  sufficiently  alarming.  My  chief 
means  of  carrying  on  the  business  lay  in  my 
ready-money  returns  from  the  shops.  It  was 
only  thus  that  I  could  pay  for  my  wood  and 
keep  my  business  going.  And  now  suddenly  the 
sales  fell  away  to  about  one  third  of  their  former 
amount ;  the  carts  came  back,  day  after  day,  al- 
most as  they  started  in  the  morning;  and  the 
salesmen  became  very  disheartened.  Besides,  how 
could  I  go  on  with  my  manufacturing,  when  my  piles 
of  unused  bundles  were  accumulating  so  largely? 

Friends  heard  of  my  perplexities  and  gener- 
ously helped  me.  I  never  shall  forget  the  kind- 
ness of  one  or  two ;  and  I  laid  the  matter  before 
Him  on  whom  I  ever  looked  as  the  chief  Partner 
In  the  firm.  And  after  two  or  three  weeks  the 
tide  began  to  turn.  The  sales  went  up.  The 
carts  came  back  from  their  rounds  empty,  and 
we  were  all  more  hopeful.  On  one  of  these 
evenings,  as  a  driver  came  in  with  his  cart,  I 
asked  him  what  had  altered  the  attitude  of  our 
customers,  and  he  replied  :  ''  JVe/l,  sir,  yon  see,  the 
people  don't  like  yon  any  better  than  they  did;  bnt 
they  say  the  religions  fire-zvood  is  better  weight 
than  the  other  fire -wood,  and  so  they  are  coming 
back  to  ns.''  It  is  a  good  thing  to  put  your  re- 
ligion into  fire- wood.      It  pays! 


I08  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

The  routine  of  the  day  was  as  follows :  The 
men  were  supposed  to  be  up  at  six.  An  hour's 
work  was  done  before  breakfast.  I  managed  to 
arrive  at  7  :  45  for  prayers.  This  was  always  a 
great  occasion.  Imagine  a  transformed  stable, 
with  tables  running  from  end  to  end,  except 
where  broken  by  a  great  flat  stove,  in  and  on 
which  several  breakfasts  were  being  cooked,  the 
odor  from  them  being  extraordinarily  fragrant. 
It  was  sometimes  as  much  as  I  could  do  to  stand 
my  ground.  Then  the  men  came  in,  sometimes 
as  many  as  thirty  or  thirty-five.  We  sang  one 
of  Sankey's  hymns,  more  or  less  in  tune,  but  al- 
ways heartily.  Next  came  the  reading  and  ex- 
position of  some  brief  passage  of  Scripture,  fol- 
lowed by  prayer. 

When  prayer  was  over,  any  complaints  were 
made  or  disputes  adjudicated,  the  story  of  one  of 
which  I  will  here  relate. 

We  had  been  much  troubled  with  men  break- 
ing out  again  in  drink,  though  one  of  the  condi- 
tions of  residence  with  us  was  that  the  pledge 
should  be  strictly  kept.  Here  was  a  great  prob- 
lem. I  could  not  turn  the  men  out  of  my  place 
without  abandoning  my  efforts  for  their  welfare ; 
and  if  they  left  Providence  House,  there  was 
nowhere  for  them  to  turn  to.  I  could  not  punish 
them,  of  course ;  and  yet  it  was  essential  to  do 
something.     So  one  morning  I  made  the  proposi- 


/  BECOME  A   FIRE-WOOD   MERCHANT      109 

tion  that  if  a  man  broke  out  drinking  he  should 
leave  the  place,  unless  the  rest  of  us  were  willing 
to  raise  toi  shillings  between  us  for  the  funds  of 
the  Prisoners'  Aid  Society.  Of  this  sum  the  men 
were  to  contribute  2s.  6d.,  and  I  7s.  6d.  In  this 
way  I  hoped  to  bind  them  into  a  sort  of  Mutual 
Protection  Society. 

Shortly  after  this  four  men  broke  out  drinking 
all  together;  and  after  prayers  they  were  sent 
outside  while  the  rest  of  us  consulted  what  to  do. 
It  was  very  interesting  to  watch  the  experiment, 
and  to  feel  that  for  the  first  time  some  of  the 
men  were  genuinely  interested  in  each  other's 
welfare,  and  stood  in  a  strait  between  their  own 
interests  and  the  salvation  of  their  brothers. 

**  Why  should  we  fine  ourselves  for  them?" 
said  one. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  on  the  same  principle  as  led 
the  Almighty  to  give  Christ  to  die." 

'*  Let's  pick  out  one  of  them,"  said  another. 

"  No,"  said  the  rest ;  ''  all  or  none." 

And  at  last,  after  a  great  deal  of  talk,  they 
agreed  to  raise  half-a-crown  for  each  of  the  men, 
making  ten  shillings  in  all,  and  I  found  the  re- 
mainder. 

It  was  very  touching.  One  man  gave  up  the 
money  he  was  saving  for  some  boots;  another 
what  he  had  put  aside  for  his  dinner;  and  so  on. 
Then  the  four  men  were  admitted.     We  told  them 


no  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

what  we  had  done,  and  how  we  were  willing  to 
suffer  in  order  to  save  them.  It  touched  a  new 
chord  in  their  hearts,  bound  the  whole  of  them 
together  with  a  new  tie,  and  helped  to  build  up 
a  strong  breakwater  of  public  sentiment  against 
the  drink,  behind  which  the  weaker  could  take 
shelter.  Thus  we  tried  to  carry  out  the  inspired 
injunction,  **  Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and 
so  fulfill  the  law  of  Christ." 

Under  the  rough  upper  crust  of  men  of  this 
class  there  are  noble  and  generous  qualities, 
crushed  by  long  years  of  lovelessness,  passion, 
drink,  and  self-will,  and  waiting  for  the  call  of 
the  Saviour.  Beneath  his  touch,  and  the  entrance 
of  his  life,  they  awake ;  and  instead  of  being  spas- 
modic and  fitful,  become  the  permanent  principles 
and  possessions  of  the  soul. 


XIII. 
bariotts  illetl)obs 

"  In  blessing  we  are  blest, 
In  labor  find  our  rest; 
If  we  bend  not  to  the  world's  work,  heart 

and  hand  and  brain, 
We  have  lived  our  life  in  vain." 

C.  Seymour. 

AMONG  other  interesting  results  of  my  work 
JTx.  at  the  prison  gate,  there  are  two  or  three 
which  require  notice,  in  order  to  give  a  complete 
idea  of  the  various  agencies  set  on  foot. 

First  of  these  was  the  Window-  Cleaning  Bri- 
gade. It  was  said,  a  Httle  unfairly,  that  a  man 
must  get  into  prison  before  I  would  do  anything 
to  help  him.  Indeed,  rumor  had  it  that  some 
men  actually  committed  some  trifling  offense,  that 
through  the  prison  cell  they  might  come  into  my 
hands.  This  seemed  to  put  a  premium  on  crime  ; 
and  I  felt  that  I  must  discover  some  way  by  which 
respectable  men  who  were  out  of  employment 
might  be  enabled  to  help  themselves. 


112  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

After  considerable  cogitation,  I  bought  a  lad- 
der or  two,  some  pails,  and  leathers,  and  started 
one  or  two  men  on  the  job  of  window-cleaning. 
Cards  on  which  my  name  w^as  printed,  which 
guaranteed  their  respectability,  were  left  from 
door  to  door,  to  be  followed  up  a  day  or  two 
after.  My  friends  throughout  the  town  were 
very  kind ;  and  I  think  that,  in  many  cases,  win- 
dows were  burnished  to  an  extent  that  was  a  lit- 
tle out  of  the  ordinary.  Thus  encouraged,  I  felt 
emboldened  to  try  a  larger  venture,  more  espe- 
cially as  my  ladders  were  too  short  to  reach  upper 
windows ;  and,  notwithstanding  my  guarantees  of 
respectability,  my  friends  did  not  see  their  way 
to  admit  my  proteges  within  their  houses.  Be- 
sides which,  inducements  were  held  out  to  me 
that  I  could  do  the  large  factories  of  the  town  at 
so  much  a  window,  if  only  I  had  ladders  long 
enough  to  reach  them.  The  result  was  that  in  a 
short  time,  at  the  cost  (I  almost  shudder  to  say  it) 
of  some  £20y  I  found  myself  possessed  of  two  of 
the  longest  ladders  in  the  town  of  Leicester.  I 
think  I  can  see  them  now,  with  my  name  printed 
down  one  side,  **  Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer's  Window- 
Cleaning  Brigade."  They  were  evidently  so 
cumbersome,  that  when  they  were  brought  to 
the  cofTee-house  one  morning,  I  gave  instructions 
for  a  special  cart  to  be  constructed  to  carry  them  ; 
and  the  whole  needed  at  least  four  men  to  push 


y/iRIOUS   METHODS 


113 


the  cart  to  and  fro,  and  to  set  the  ladders  up  and 
move  them. 

Many  hairs  were  turned  gray  on  account  of  the 
initial  anxieties  in  starting  this  new  branch  of  my 
work,  arising  largely  from  the  fact  that  my  men 
did  not  seem  to  recognize  the  distinction  between 
the  wages  I  gave  them  and  the  money  that  was 
paid  for  their  work,  some  of  which  was  due  to 
me  for  my  outlay.  However,  the  result,  as  far  as 
employing  men  who  were  out  of  work  was  con- 
cerned, amply  justified  my  expenditure;  and  I 
had  the  satisfaction  of  employing  men  until  they 
secured  situations,  which  they  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  doing  by  moving  among  the  residents  and 
manufacturers  of  the  town.  As  I  was  constantly 
about  the  streets,  I  met  different  members  of  my 
brigade,  with  their  ladders  and  pails  ;  and  I  always 
think  kindly  of  my  people  at  Melbourne  Hall, 
that  they  were  not  scandalized  at  the  eminently 
practical  side  of  their  pastor's  character. 

On  the  same  line,  and  to  give  employment  to 
the  same  class,  I  started  the  Messenger  Brigade, 
something  after  the  fashion  of  the  Commissionaire 
Corps.  This  was  intended  more  especially  to  help 
old  men  who  were  no  longer  fit  for  laborious 
work.  We  began  with  four,  in  different  parts  of 
the  town.  They  stood  at  certain  spots,  waiting 
to  be  sent  on  errands,  to  be  called  in  to  black 


114  THE    BELLS    OF  IS 

boots,  or  do  any  odd  jobs  about  the  house.  They 
wore  a  specially-made  hat  with  my  name  in  the 
front,  and  were  paid  so  much  per  quarter  of  an 
hour,  or  per  quarter  of  a  mile,  keeping  all  they 
earned.  Had  I  remained  in  Leicester,  I  believe 
this  might  have  been  made  a  great  success.  Only 
one  old  man  clings  now  to  the  spot  where  I  lo- 
cated him,  by  Victoria  Road  Church,  and  I  be- 
lieve he  still  has  one  of  these  hats.  He  always 
comes  to  hear  me  preach  on  my  occasional  visits  ; 
and  I  am  glad  to  think  that  I  have  done  some- 
thing to  brighten  his  life.  I  have  a  sort  of  feel- 
ing that  even  in  heaven  he  will  tell  me  with  a 
kind  of  simple  pleasure  that  he  was  one  of  my 
messengers.  He  has  now  a  little  hut,  like  a 
sentry-box,  that  screens  him  from  the  weather; 
and  many  people  treat  him  kindly  for  my  sake. 

One  more  item,  though  I  trust  that  my  readers 
will  not  accuse  me  of  garrulity  or  egotism.  My 
one  desire  in  giving  these  chapters  from  my  life 
is  to  show  what  an  ordinary  man,  apparently 
without  special  aptitude  for  this  sort  of  work, 
was  nevertheless  able  to  eflfect.  When  I  first 
took  Providence  House,  it  was  my  intention  to 
make  it  serve  a  double  purpose — for  discharged 
prisoners  on  the  one  hand,  and  for  homeless  lads 
who  had  been  in  prison,  or  were  in  danger  of  go- 
ing there,  on  the  other.  In  the  top  floor  of  the 
manager's  house  were  several  beds,  and  these  I 


VARIOUS  METHODS  115 

filled  with  street  boys  who  were  in  moral  danger. 
Some  of  them  I  employed  in  the  fire- wood  fac- 
tory, paying  them  wages  of  which  they  returned 
me  something  for  their  keep;  for  others  we  ob- 
tained situations  among  the  manufacturers  of  the 
town. 

We  had  some  strange  and  surprising  experi- 
ences among  the  lads ;  for  instance,  one  afternoon 
the  whole  of  them  slipped  out  of  the  place,  "  to 
walk  to  London  "  to  improve  their  position,  evi- 
dently under  the  notion  that  its  streets  were 
paved  with  gold!  We,  however,  not  knowing 
where  they  had  gone,  were  filled  with  dismay. 
But  it  so  happened  that  one  of  our  wood-carts 
coming  in  from  the  country  happened  to  meet 
them  walking  bravely  along  the  London  Road, 
and  brought  us  word ;  so  my  manager  started  in 
pursuit.  We  had  this  hold  upon  them,  that  the 
clothes  they  wore  were  our  property.  It  was 
understood  between  them  and  us  that  they  were 
a  loan,  and  that  they  were  free  to  leave  us  at  any 
moment  on  returning  to  us  our  belongings.  This 
enabled  us  to  arrest  the  runaways  and  to  bring 
them  back. 

I  was  very  much  encouraged  with  the  work  we 
were  able  to  do  among  these  boys.  No  other 
field  of  my  work  yielded  such  harvests.  I  could 
see  the  improvement  working  in  them  from  week 
to  week ;  and  in  many  cases  we  received  excellent 


Il6  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

reports  from  their  employers.  To  find  further 
work  for  them  we  started  cane-chair  making,  and 
produced  chairs  which  are  still  to  be  seen  in  var- 
ious parts  of  Leicester;  but  each  chair  could  tell 
a  story.  All  I  need  say  here  is  that,  if  any  of 
my  friends  should  be  thinking  of  teaching  boys 
to  make  cane  chairs,  they  should  write  to  me  for 
further  particulars,  as  I  would  earnestly  warn 
them  against  the  attempt. 

By  far  the  best  plan  is  to  procure  situations  for 
the  lads  in  the  factories  within  easy  reach  of  their 
Home ;  and  this  was  the  plan  ultimately  resorted 
to  by  us.  This  branch  of  the  work  was  removed 
from  Providence  House,  and  a  Boys'  Home  was 
opened  in  a  neighboring  street  I  rented  a  suit- 
able house,  placed  there  my  true  and  trusty 
friends,  Mr.  Burnham  and  his  wife,  guaranteed 
the  rent,  and  started  the  little  family.  The  lads 
were  expected  to  bring  us  the  whole  of  their 
wages.  We  deducted  eight  shillings  for  their 
keep,  gave  them  sixpence  for  pocket-money,  and 
put  the  remainder  on  one  side  for  clothes  or  other 
necessaries.  This  system,  with  the  help  of  a  few 
outside  subscriptions,  secures  the  maintenance  of 
the  two  good  souls  that  nobly  fulfill  the  office  of 
parents  to  those  who  perhaps  have  never  known 
father  or  mother. 

This  Boys'  Home  still  flourishes,  and  is  the 
means  of  starting  many  a  young  lad  on  the  up- 


VARIOUS  METHODS  1 17 

ward  path.  After  spending  three  or  four  years 
in  the  Home,  the  lads  are  able  to  take  lodg- 
ings for  themselves ;  and  it  is  a  great  pleasure, 
from  time  to  time,  to  hear  tidings  of  their  wel- 
fare. 

One  is  a  young  Christian  soldier,  who  reports 
himself  when  returning  on  furlough.  Another 
is  a  most  devoted  Christian  artisan.  Others  from 
time  to  time  write  to  say  that  they  are  doing  well, 
either  in  England  or  abroad.  I  subjoin  extracts 
from  two  letters  received  comparatively  lately. 
One  writes : 

"  I  write  to  you  these  few  lines,  hoping  that  they  will  reach 
you  and  find  you  quite  well.  I  was  glad  to  see  you  here  in 
Leicester,  and  to  shake  your  hand.  I  did  not  know  what  to  say 
to  you  then  ;  but  if  the  people  who  gathered  around  you  were  not 
there,  1  should  have  liked  to  say  a  few  more  words  with  you. 
When  we  come  to  look  back  on  the  past,  when  you  did  come 
down  to  Providence  House  and  talked  to  us  all,  there  is  one  thing 
I  do  remember  of  your  kindness  to  me,  and  trying  to  lead  me  to 
God ;  that  was  when  you  took  me  by  myself  and  prayed  for  me, 
and  forgave  the  wrong  that  I  did.  I  am  sure  if  I  had  not  come 
to  your  Home  I  should  have  gone  down  into  deeper  sin.  But 
God  was  with  me,  though  I  did  not  know  it  then.  But  I  know 
it  now,  and  it  is  only  by  my  prayer  that  I  have  had  blessing  from 
him.  I  do  thank  God  now  in  my  heart  for  his  kindness  in  pre- 
serving me  from  evil,  and  in  giving  me  good  things.  I  must  tell 
you  that  I  have  been  home  and  seen  my  friends.  They  were  all 
very  pleased  to  see  me  indeed ;  and  I  told  them  a  good  bit  of  my 
past  life,  especially  my  mother.' 

Another,  a  young  man,  now  doing  well  in  the 
United  States,  writes : 


Il8  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

**  I  do  thank  you,  sir,  for  helping  me  to  come  to  this  country; 
it  has  been  my  salvation ;  the  seed  you  sowed  in  my  heart  at 
Leicester  was  not  lost,  but  has  sprung  up,  after  lying  dormant 
so  long." 

Many  who  desire  to  help  friendless  lads  might 
work  on  these  lines,  which  appear  to  me  to  do 
the  maximum  amount  of  good  for  the  minimum 
expenditure  of  money  and  thought ;  the  only 
necessity  is  to  be  prepared  to  supplement  the  in- 
come of  the  Home  with  a  few  outside  subscrip- 
tions, in  case  slackness  of  work  or  other  causes 
produce  a  slight  annual  deficit. 

I  have  not  made  very  prominent  the  earnest 
religious  influence  which  we  always  sought  to 
bring  to  bear  upon  the  various  characters  whom 
these  methods  brought  within  our  reach.  Ours 
was  no  mere  humanitarianism.  The  efforts  we 
made  for  the  material  well-being  of  these  men 
were  subordinate  to  the  constant  desire  to  pro- 
mote their  total  abstinence,  and,  above  all,  their 
devotion  to  Christ.  Sometimes  I  had  straight 
talks  with  them,  oftenest  I  think  they  felt  that  I 
was  expecting  them  to  live  pure,  sober,  God- 
fearing lives ;  and  one  by  one  several  gave  evi- 
dence that  they  were  passing  into  the  Kingdom. 
That  is  not  first  which  is  spiritual,  but  that  which 
is  natural ;  afterward  that  which  is  spiritual. 


XIV. 
3:i)e  Streets 

"  Let  us  watch  awhile  the  sowers,  let  us  mark  their  tiny  grain, 
Scattered  oft  in  doubt  and  trembling,  sown  in  weakness  and  in 

pain ; 
Then  let  Faith,  with  radiant  finger,  lift  the  veil  from  unseen 

things, 
Where  the  golden  sheaves  are  bending,  and  the  harvest  an- 
them rings." 

F.  R.  Havergal. 

THIS  Prison  Mission  introduced  me  into  a 
great  variety  of  Christian  and  philanthropic 
work  throughout  the  town  of  Leicester.  Most 
people  knew  of  me,  even  if  they  were  not  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  me ;  and  one  was  able  to 
do  and  say  things  which  had  not  been  received 
in  such  good  part  unless  my  fellow-townsfolk  had 
learned  to  trust  and  respect  my  motives. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  branches  of  work 
was  the  expeditions  which  a  band  of  Christian 
working-men  and  I  used  to  make  into  the  streets 
of  Leicester  ow  Saturdays,  especially  in  the  winter. 
We  met  about  9 :  30  in  the  evening,  at  the  close 
119 


120  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

of  the  prayer-meeting ;  and,  after  we  had  fortified 
ourselves  with  supper,  and  divided  into  twos,  tak- 
ing several  directions,  we  dived  down  amid  the 
great  multitudes  of  people  that  filled  the  streets. 

What  a  sight  they  used  to  be,  those  Leicester 
streets  on  Saturday  night!  The  glare  of  the  gas 
in  the  market-place  reflected  from  the  clouds ;  the 
murmur  of  voices;  the  clatter  of  boots  over  the 
ill-paved  causeways  in  the  back  parts  of  the  town ; 
the  bags,  and  parcels,  and  satchels  filled  with  pur- 
chases for  the  week.  The  working-classes  seemed 
to  reserve  all  their  shopping  for  that  single  night, 
and  to  turn  out  en  masse  to  do  it.  The  public- 
houses  were,  of  course,  in  full  blast,  the  bars 
crowded  with  people ;  and  scores  of  men  would 
be  reeling  home,  some  just  able  to  walk,  others 
uproariously  merry,  others  again  inclined  to  fight. 
There  would  be  plenty  of  incident  to  arrest  the 
attention,  plenty  of  cases  needing  a  helping  hand. 

We  were  a  kind  of  moral  and  spiritual  ambu- 
lance corps.  Sometimes  we  stopped  a  drunken 
fight ;  or  led  home  a  bewildered  inebriate,  mak- 
ing an  appointment  to  call  on  him  the  following 
morning,  to  take  his  pledge  and  bring  him  to  the 
house  of  God.  At  other  times  we  might  have  to 
argue  with  a  man  for  an  hour  or  two,  as  he  kept 
putting  us  off  with  false  addresses,  or  evaded  our 
inquiries.  Often  we  were  able  to  arrest  some  one 
whom  we  knew  to  be  in  temptation,  and  to  say 


THE  STREETS  121 

in  the  words  of  Scripture,  '*  What  doest  thou 
here?" 

Here  let  me  be  garrulous,  and  tell  one  story 
which  is  as  fresh  to  me  as  on  the  day  on  which 
it  happened.  One  drizzling  Saturday  afternoon 
I  was  in  search  of  adventure  in  my  favorite  resort 
when  in  certain  moods — the  streets.  My  prepa- 
rations being  finished  for  the  coming  day,  I  felt 
free.  As  I  was  going  down  one  long  dreary 
street,  I  suddenly  came  on  a  man  propped  up 
against  the  wall,  which  he  dared  not  leave  for 
fear  of  falling,  for  drink  had  affected  his  motor 
nerves,  though  it  had  left  his  brain  clear.  He 
was  unable  to  walk  steadily,  but  quite  able  to 
understand  what  he  was  doing  and  what  hap- 
pened subsequently.  A  group  of  small  children 
were  eying  him  with  astonishment,  and  I  think 
he  was  addressing  them  more  or  less  coherently. 
Discovering  his  plight,  I  offered  to  take  him  home. 
At  first  he  refused,  because  I  was  too  much  of  a 
gentleman.  But  finally  I  overcame  his  objections, 
and  we  started.  He  was  a  much  bigger  man 
than  myself,  and  heavier;  and  I  found  it  very 
difficult  to  keep  him  steady  with  one  hand,  and 
to  shelter  us  both  under  my  umbrella  with  the 
other. 

Being  anxious  to  take  him  to  the  address  he 
had  given  me  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  I 
thoughtlessly  took  what  I  knew  to  be  a  shorter 


122  THE  BELLS    OF  IS 

cut,  forgetting  for  the  moment  that  it  ended  in  a 
walk  across  some  clay-pits,  on  the  farther  side  of 
which  his  home  lay.  It  was  a  perilous  adventure, 
the  remembrance  of  which  even  now  makes  me 
shudder ;  for  no  sooner  had  we  got  over  the  stile, 
and  were  well  started  on  the  sticky  soil,  than  he 
collapsed  helplessly  on  the  ground,  making  it  im- 
possible for  me  to  keep  my  feet,  an  experience 
which  was  repeated  more  than  once  in  that  never- 
to-be-forgotten  tramp.  In  fact,  no  Turkish  bath 
that  I  have  enjoyed  since  has  had  a  greater  effect 
upon  me  than  my  efforts  to  keep  my  charge  upon 
his  feet  on  that  slippery  clay.  A  man  passed  by 
without  offering  to  help,  who  reminded  me  in- 
stantly of  the  Levite  in  the  parable ;  and  yet  how 
could  I  blame  him,  who  perhaps  had  no  change 
of  clothes  to  substitute  for  those  which  would 
certainly  have  become  thickly  coated  if  he  had 
borne  me  company  ? 

At  last  we  reached  the  other  side,  with  its  terra 
firvia,  and  a  few  steps  brought  us  to  his  home. 
We  went  up  the  side  passage,  and  appeared  in  a 
besmirched  condition  as  to  our  clothes,  before  the 
window  of  the  back  kitchen,  where  his  wife  and 
children  were  having  tea.  I  can  now  see  the  look 
of  wonder  upon  the  woman's  face.  She  could 
not  understand  who  this  man  was  that  had 
brought  her  husband  home ;  and  I  think  she 
feared  that  I  was  a  policeman  in  plain  clothes. 


THE  STREETS  1 23 

Her  fears,  however,  were  soon  dissipated,  and  we 
sat  down  at  the  table. 

"  Missus,  give  the  gentl'm'n  some  tea,"  he  said ; 
and  she  at  once  cHmbed  a  chair,  and  began  to 
search  among  her  best  china  for  a  cup  and  saucer. 
Now,  I  always  dread  best  china,  partly  because  I 
am  afraid  of  breaking  it,  and  partly  because  of 
the  dust  which  generally  gathers  in  it;  and  so  I 
begged  the  good  woman  not  to  mind,  but  to  give 
me  a  cup  of  tea  in  the  first  mug  or  cup  that  came 
to  hand.  While  she  was  preparing  to  do  this,  he 
broke  in : 

*'  Have  ye  got  any  of  them  cards  with  yer?  " 

**  What  cards?  "  said  I. 

"Them  teetotal  cards,"  he  replied. 

**  Oh,  yes,"  said  I,  "  plenty;"  for  I  always  car- 
ried a  supply  of  them  with  me. 

His  wife  then  sought  for  the  ink,  and  brought 
at  last  from  the  front  room  a  pot,  in  which  were 
the  dried  remains  of  what  had  been  ink,  like 
the  ashes  of  an  extinct  volcano.  With  these  we 
made  shift,  and  with  some  difficulty  got  the  card 
signed.  The  wife  and  children  had  no  need  to 
copy  his  example,  for  they  were  already  on  the 
safe  side.  And  I  left  the  house  with  many  assur- 
ances that  he  would  come  and  hear  me  preach — 
which  he  did ;  and  that  afternoon  ended  most 
satisfactorily,  in  the  winning  of  his  soul  for  a  new- 
Master. 


124  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

On  another  occasion,  late  one  Saturday  night, 
I  picked  up  a  man,  incapable  of  taking  care  of 
himself,  and  found  that  he  belonged  to  the  neigh- 
boring little  town  of  Loughborough.  He  con- 
fessed to  me  that  he  was  married,  his  wife  as  nice 
a  girl  as  you  would  wish  to  see ;  that  she  did  not 
know  where  he  was,  but  would  be  looking  for 
him.  Then  he  relapsed  into  a  state  of  incoher- 
ency  ;  and  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  take  him 
to  the  station,  pay  his  fare,  give  him  in  charge  of 
the  guard,  and  put  in  his  pocket  a  piece  of  paper, 
with  words  like  these  written  on  it  in  a  clear 
hand: 

"  My  friend,  I  found  you  in  the  streets  of  Leicester,  unable  to 
care  for  yourself,  because  you  were  so  drunk ;  I  paid  your  fare, 
and  sent  you  back  to  Loughborough.  I  urge  you,  in  the  strength 
of  Christ,  to  give  up  this  accursed  habit,  which  will  ruin  body 
and  soul." 

But  my  working-men  met  with  adventures 
even  more  thrilling  and  interesting;  and  they 
were  happy  hours  in  which  we  recounted  our 
experiences.  What  a  romance  there  is  in  the 
streets !  Comedy  and  tragedy  within  touch ; 
lights  and  shadows  chasing  each  other,  as  they 
do  across  the  hills.  Who  need  live  a  lonely  life 
when  within  reach  of  such  a  wealth  of  human 
need,  and  sorrow,  and  love,  only  waiting  our 
search ! 

Closely  connected  with  this  were  the  open-air 


THE  STREETS  1 25 

services  we  held  two  or  three  times  a  week  dur- 
ing the  summer.  Ah,  those  meetings  by  the 
weighing-machine  in  the  Humberstone  Gate,  and 
in  the  Infirmary  Square !  My  voice  is  not  natu- 
rally suited  for  this  kind  of  work ;  but  I  used  to 
do  most  in  guiding  the  meeting,  giving  out  the 
hymns,  introducing  the  speakers  or  solo  singers, 
and  giving  the  last  fifteen  minutes'  talk. 

If  a  man  wants  to  learn  to  speak,  let  him  go 
into  the  street,  stand  up  on  a  chair,  and  begin. 
It  will  not  be  long  before  he  learns  what  sort  of 
talk  will  hold  an  audience.  His  congregation  is 
apt  to  disappear  in  a  remarkably  short  time,  so 
soon  as  he  becomes  prosy.  It  is  a  great  mistake 
to  think  that  any  one  or  that  any  kind  of  talk 
will  do  for  the  open  air.  We  should  put  our 
best  men  forward  there,  and  they  should  give 
their  very  best  utterances.  An  open-air  audi- 
ence will  listen  to  good,  earnest,  common  sense, 
and  you  may  season  it  with  that  natural  play  of 
humor  and  bonhomie  which  come  and  go  when 
the  soul  is  speaking  without  reserve. 

I  always  sought  to  have  a  little  ring  gathered 
around  me ;  but  before  now  I  have  started  abso- 
lutely alone.  But  the  meetings  which  began  with 
most  discouragement  generally  ended  with  most 
success — as  we  discovered  when,  at  the  end  of 
the  service,  we  marched  to  the  mission  hall  and 
counted  up  our  gains. 


126  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

There  is  so  much  in  the  open  air  to  suggest 
topics  for  speech.  The  telegraph  wires,  speaking 
of  prayer,  and  the  messages  which  are  ever  flash- 
ing into  our  souls ;  the  precautions  taken  against 
the  lightning  stroke  and  the  outbreak  of  fire ;  the 
earthenware  pipes  to  be  laid  underground,  rep- 
resenting the  life  hidden  with  Christ  in  God, 
through  which  living  water  flows;  the  crescent 
moon,  recalling  the  incompleteness  which  is  the  lot 
of  us  all ;  the  full  moon,  emblematic  of  the  Hght 
which,  when  in  perfect  fellowship  with  Jesus,  we 
catch  and  reflect ;  the  noise  of  the  carts  drowning 
the  speaker's  utterances  as  the  rush  of  worldliness 
and  business  does  '*  the  still  small  voice."  Texts 
peep  out  on  all  sides,  and  illustrations  coyly  offer 
themselves  ready  made. 

Christian  man,  pining  for  a  sphere  of  useful- 
ness! young  aspirant  for  a  pulpit!  minister,  with- 
out a  charge!  take  my  advice.  Do  not  pine  in 
inaction  on  the  shore ;  launch  out  into  the  deep 
of  the  streets,  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a 
draught. 


XV. 

"  I  believe 
In  one  Priest,  and  one  Temple,  with  its  floors 
Of  shining  jasper  gloom'd  at  morn  and  eve 

By  countless  knees  of  earnest  auditors ; 
And  crystal  walls  too  lucid  to  perceive — 

That  none  may  take  the  measure  of  the  place 
And  say,  *  So  far  the  porphyry,  then,  the  flint : 

To  this  mark  Mercy  goes,  and  there  ends  Grace.'  " 

E.  B.  Browning. 

BY  this  time  I  had  become  surrounded  by  a 
number  of  working-men  who  had  been  saved 
from  the  drink,  and  were  wiUing  to  help  me  save 
others.  They  used  to  gather  at  the  prison  gate 
to  render  voluntary  help  whenever  work  per- 
mitted ;  so  that  sometimes  I  had  a  group  of  five 
or  six  men  clustered  by  the  big  gate,  waiting  for 
my  appearance  with  my  morning's  output  of 
prisoners.  I  always  called  them  by  their  Chris- 
tian names — Joe,  Harry,  A  If,  and  so  forth,  to  each 
of  whom  a  prisoner  was  consigned  for  conveyance 
127 


128  THE   BELLS   OF  IS 

to  the  coffee-house.  There  they  would  attend  to 
their  wants,  talk  to  them,  and  help  me  in  many 
ways. 

Finally,  some  of  them  desired  to  start  work  on 
their  own  account,  and  obtained  permission  to 
visit  the  tramp  wards  of  the  workhouse  each 
Sunday  afternoon.  Those  services  have  been 
continued  ever  since,  and  have  led — I  am  glad 
to  hear — to  the  material  as  well  as  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  tramps,  in  whose  surroundings  a 
great  change  for  the  better  has  been  made  by  the 
authorities. 

In  addition  to  this,  my  friends  gained  entrance 
to  a  common  lodging-house,  which  was  clean  and 
well-conducted,  and  to  which  I  was  in  the  habit 
of  sending  a  good  many  customers.  Services 
were  held  there  every  Sunday  evening,  and  were 
enthusiastically  welcomed ;  and  I  have  every  rea- 
son to  believe  that  the  lodging-house  keeper  had 
not  only  more  respectable  "  dossers,"  but  more 
of  them,  owing  to  the  fact  of  the  services  being 
conducted  there.  He  finally  offered  me  the  use 
of  an  old  loft  in  his  back  yard,  in  which  it  was 
difficult  to  stand  upright  except  in  the  center.  It 
was  reached  by  a  crazy  ladder ;  and  when  I  saw  it 
first  it  was  in  an  indescribable  condition  of  rotten 
timbers,  dust,  and  neglect.  Indeed,  it  seemed 
more  fit  to  be  tenanted  by  rats  and  mice,  or  by 
stray  birds  entering  through  the  broken  panes  of 


"THE   CATHEDRAL" 


129 


glass  in  the  windows,  than  to  be  of  any  use  in 
the  direction  to  which  our  thoughts  immediately 
tended  when  we  heard  that  it  might  be  ours. 

The  working-men  and  I,  however,  resolved 
that  we  would  do  our  very  best  to  transform  this 
dilapidated  room  into  a  meeting-place  for  the 
lodgers  and  neighbors.  So  we  set  to  work,  they 
giving  time  and  labor,  and  I  providing  the  mate- 
rials necessary.  It  was  the  subject  of  immense 
interest  for  some  weeks ;  and  at  last,  one  Sunday 
afternoon,  as  was  announced  at  Melbourne  Hall 
and  by  bills,  I  went  down  solemnly  to  dedicate  it 
for  the  purposes  of  divine  worship.  There  was 
an  unusual  stir  in  the  street;  neighbors  were 
standing  about  in  little  groups,  and  as  many  of 
the  lodgers  and  of  my  own  people  as  could  were 
crowding  the  little  room  to  suffocation.  But  it 
was  a  very  pretty  sight  that  greeted  me ;  the 
floor  had  been  repaired,  the  walls  had  been  color- 
washed and  adorned  with  texts.  Low  seats  had 
been  placed  across  the  room,  a  table  put  for  me 
at  the  end,  and  the  whole  appearance  was  so  in- 
viting as  I  looked  upon  the  sixty  or  seventy  that 
had  crowded  in,  that  I  dubbed  the  place  by  the 
name  of  "The  Cathedral,"  a  name  which  I  be- 
lieve it  bears  still.  How  they  sang!  How  I 
preached!  I  have  addressed  many  audiences, 
but  I  may  fairly  exclaim  concerning  that:  How 
they  listened !      The  very  babies  seemed  to  feel 


130  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

the  spell  of  their  unwonted  surroundings,  and 
slept. 

The  bishop  of  this  cathedral  was,  of  course, 
myself;  but  the  dean  was  a  dear  friend  of  mine, 
by  trade  a  painter,  tall,  and  straight,  and  true, 
whose  work  has  resulted  in  winning  many  jewels 
for  Christ's  crown  from  those  scenes  of  squalor 
and  drunkenness.  The  result  of  the  services  held 
there,  among  the  peddlers  and  flower-sellers,  and 
other  people  that  frequented  the  house,  soon  be- 
came apparent ;  and  of  this  an  amusing  illustra- 
tion was  given  shortly  before  I  left  Leicester. 

It  was  my  habit  then,  as  now,  to  spend  the 
bank  holidays  and  Saturday  afternoons  with  my 
people,  especially  with  the  young  men — a  practice 
which  I  would  earnestly  recommend  to  Christian 
ministers.  The  first  conception  of  this  was  sug- 
gested by  the  story  told  in  Kingsley's  life  of  his 
work  at  Chester;  of  which  it  is  said  that,  on  the 
Saturday  afternoons,  the  canon  and  his  daughters 
would  conduct  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  persons 
for  botanical  and  geological  investigation  in  the 
neighborhood.  ''Those  were  bright  afternoons," 
the  biographer  says,  "  all  classes  mingling  to- 
gether ;  people  who  had  lived  next  door  to  each 
other  in  Chester  for  years,  perhaps,  without  ex- 
changing a  word,  now  meeting  upon  equal  and 
friendly  terms  in  pursuit  of  one  ennobling  object, 
and  traveling  in  second-class  carriages  together, 


"THE  CATHEDRAL"  I31 

without  distinction  of  rank  or  position,  to  return 
at  the  end  of  the  long  summer  evening,  to  their 
old  city,  refreshed  and  inspirited,  with  nosegays 
of  wild  flowers,  geological  specimens,  and  happy 
thoughts  of  God's  earth,  and  of  their  fellow- 
creatures." 

I  could  not  lay  claim  to  more  than  a  smattering 
of  geological  knowledge,  while  I  am  deplorably 
ignorant  of  botany  ;  but  I  tried  to  compensate  for 
my  deficiency  in  these  respects  by  acquainting 
myself  with  the  archaeology  of  Leicester,  which 
contains  as  many  ancient  remains  as  any  town  of 
its  size.  Ah!  those  days,  when  we  visited  St. 
Mary's  Church,  where  the  crusaders  would  watch 
the  night  before  they  started  for  the  Holy  Land ; 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Roman  amphitheater,  with 
the  stump  of  the  pillar  that  marked  the  stadium ; 
the  tessellated  pavement,  lying  six  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  street,  on  which  couriers,  fresh  from 
Rome,  may  have  brought  the  tidings  of  the  perse- 
cution of  the  followers  of  Christ ;  the  Town  Hall, 
where  Shakespeare  played,  and  Elizabeth  held 
court ;  the  church  where  George  Fox  "brawled"  ; 
the  piece  of  wall  w^here  Rupert  made  one  of  his 
hottest  charges,  and  Bunyan  is  said  narrowly  to 
have  escaped  death ;  these  and  such  like  would 
gather  from  eighty  to  a  hundred  young  men  who 
learned  to  read  history  from  the  books  of  old 
stones  and  moldering  monuments. 


132  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

In  these  explorations  I  received  much  help 
from  various  friends.  One  very  happy  afternoon, 
for  instance,  was  spent  at  St.  Mary's  Church, 
already  alluded  to,  under  the  personal  direction 
of  my  friend,  the  late  Canon  Broughton.  It  is 
one  of  the  finest  churches  in  Leicester,  and  pre- 
sents, in  its  various  restorations,  specimens  of  all 
the  principal  styles  of  architecture.  The  fine  old 
gateway  and  the  adjacent  Newarke  (New  Work) 
are  full  of  historic  interest ;  and  hard  by  is  the 
bridge  spanning  the  Soar,  by  which  King  Richard 
passed  to  Bosworth  Field. 

For  more  mixed  audiences  in  the  summer,  we 
would  arrange  walks  to  the  neighboring  villages, 
where  the  kind  people  connected  with  humble 
chapels  would  provide  us  with  tea,  in  return  for 
which  we  held  brief  services.  And  it  was  at  one 
of  these  that  the  trivial  incident  took  place  which 
I  was  about  to  narrate  when  I  was  led  off  on  this 
long  digression — much  as  when  a  whiff  of  air, 
bearing  some  country  scent,  carries  the  mind  back 
to  scenes  now  engulfed  by  the  devouring  waves 
of  time. 

We  had  walked  to  Anstey  in  the  early  after- 
noon, a  large  party,  on  a  bank  holiday.  We  were 
rather  tired  in  the  sultry  weather,  and  eager  for 
tea.  Some  were  within  the  Httle  chapel,  hastening 
the  preparations,  while  the  majority  were  sitting 
with  me  on  the  steps,  or  standing  about  singing 


"THE   CATHEDRAL"  133 

hymns.  Suddenly  a  conveyance  drew  up  whose 
driver,  and  pair  of  horses,  and  general  appear- 
ance, were  all  that  could  be  desired.  The  vehicle 
had  evidently  been  specially  hired  for  the  occa- 
sion ;  and  I  expected  nothing  less  than  that  sev- 
eral of  the  Melbourne  Hall  people,  who  were 
possessed  of  more  money  than  walking  powers, 
had  hired  it  to  bring  them,  when,  on  closer  in- 
spection, I  discovered  that  they  were  almost  all 
strangers  to  me.  But  they  were  recognized  in- 
stantly by  some  in  the  group  as  being  the  congre- 
gation from  *' the  Cathedral."  Costermongers, 
flower-women,  peddlers,  filigree-ornament  mak- 
ers, street  fruit-sellers,  fish-hawkers — some  of 
whom  had  been  in  jail,  but  all  were  now  total 
abstainers,  if  not  Christians — had  found  their  new 
life  so  profitable  that  they  were  not  only  able  to 
dress  respectably,  but  to  treat  themselves  for  a 
day  In  the  country,  hiring  the  conveyance  for 
their  greater  comfort. 

It  may  seem  but  a  Httle  thing ;  but  their  evi- 
dent delight,  and  the  shouts  with  which  they 
were  welcomed,  and  the  way  in  which  they 
were  received  into  our  circle,  were  to  me  a 
very  gratifying  indication  of  the  value  of  per- 
sistent and  devoted  Christian  endeavor.  They 
much  wanted  me  to  ride  home  with  them,  but 
the  larger  demands  of  the  walking  party  claimed 
me. 


134  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

Before  I  left  Leicester  I  had  a  scheme  which 
I  propounded  to  some  of  the  principal  men,  of 
building  common  lodging-houses  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Council ;  sure  I  am  that  the  majority  of 
those  who  frequent  such  places  would  be  thank- 
ful for  more  decent  and  wholesome  surroundings. 
But  this  scheme  fell  through  on  my  removal  from 
Leicester ;  and  I  am  glad  to  know  how  much  good 
has  been  done  in  this  direction  by  the  London 
County  Council.  I  have,  therefore,  contented 
myself  with  superintending  two  respectable  com- 
mon lodging-houses  since  I  came  to  London,  the 
story  of  which  would  be  too  long  to  tell.  On  the 
one  hand,  the  enterprise  has  developed  some  of 
the  noblest  qualities  of  manhood  in  my  fellow- 
workers,  three  or  four  of  whom  have  elected  to 
live  in  the  common  lodging-house,  that  they 
might  better  help  the  inmates.  On  the  other 
hand,  not  a  few  have  passed  from  the  lowest 
degradation  into  a  new  Hfe ;  and  some,  by  the 
help  of  our  Industrial  Farm,  in  which  I  am  in- 
terested, and  with  the  assistance  of  the  Self-help 
Emigration  Society,  have  entered  upon  promising 
careers  in  the  far  West. 


XVI. 
®n  tlje  Hace- Course 

"  Greatly  begin  !  though  thou  have  time 
But  for  a  hne,  be  that  subHme — 
Not  Failure,  but  low  aim,  is  crime!    .   .  . 
We  are  not  poorer  that  we  wept  and  yearned ; 
Though  earth  swing  wide  from  God's  intent, 

And  though  no  man  nor  nation 
Will  work  with  full  consent 

In  heavenly  gravitation — 
Yet  by  one  Sun  is  every  orbit  bent!" 

Lowell. 

BEFORE  finally  leaving  the  record  of  my  work 
at  the  prison  gate,  Leicester,  I  will  relate  how 
on  one  occasion  it  stood  me  in  good  stead,  and 
was  the  means  of  saving,  if  not  my  life,  at  least 
my  coat  from  being  torn  to  shreds  by  an  excited 
crowd. 

It  was  a  lovely  day  in  July,  and  our  Sunday- 
school  was,  as  usual,  having  its  treat  on  the  same 
day  on  which  the  Leicester  Races  were  being 
held,  as  a  means  of  decoying  the  children  from 
the  perils  of  the  race-course.  It  should  be  noted 
here  as  a  piece  of  ancient  history  that  when  I 
135 


136  THE  BELLS    OF  IS 

first  knew  Leicester,  and  for  some  years  after,  the 
races  were  held  within  the  town,  at  the  top  of 
the  London  Road ;  and,  being  open  to  all  comers 
without  charge,  were  fraught  with  unutterable 
evil  to  the  morals  of  the  town. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  count  all  the  young 
lives  which  were  ruined  on  that  breezy  meadow ; 
or  how  many  Sunday-school  scholars  attracted 
first  by  curiosity  were  caught  by  a  whirlpool  the 
eddy  of  which  finally  sent  them  to  perdition. 
Thank  God,  the  episode  which  I  am  about  to  re- 
count marked  the  conclusion  of  the  time-honored 
custom  of  holding  the  races  there ;  ever  since, 
they  have  been  celebrated  beyond  the  boundaries 
of  the  town  in  an  inclosure,  for  admittance  to 
which  each  person  is  charged  gate  money. 

For  some  previous  days  the  town  had  been 
placarded  by  notices  inviting  the  attendance  of 
the  townsfolk  at  a  public  meeting  to  be  held  on 
the  course,  just  opposite  the  grand  stand,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  last  race,  to  determine  whether 
the  races  should  be  in  future  held  there  or  re- 
moved to  Oadby.  As  one  of  the  public,  I  resolved 
to  accept  the  invitation,  but  without  informing 
my  most  intimate  friends  of  my  resolve. 

With  as  much  equanimity  as  I  could  command, 
I  took  part  in  our  school  treat,  played  games  with 
the  children,  as  was  my  wont  on  such  occasions^ 
and  in  the  scrimmage  lost  a  very  valuable  keep- 


ON    THE  RACE-COURSE  137 

sake ;  which  I  remember  made  a  deep  impression 
on  my  mind,  in  the  midst  of  my  not  unnatural 
anxiety  as  to  the  issue  of  my  adventure. 

Steahng  quietly  away  from  the  field  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  made  my  way  to  the 
race-course,  determined  to  protest  against  the 
continuance  of  the  races  in  such  near  proximity, 
and  under  such  free  conditions. 

I  reached  the  spot  as  the  bell  was  ringing  for 
the  last  race,  and  waited  quietly  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  crowd  as  the  horses  swept  by.  For  the 
first  time  in  my  life,  I  found  myself  surrounded 
by  the  extraordinary  medley  of  people,  and  scenes, 
and  spectacles,  that  converge  to  a  race-course — 
like  refuse  to  the  bottom  of  the  vat.  The  gypsies 
with  the  cocoa-nuts  and  Aunt  Sallies  ;  the  coarse, 
hoarse-shouting  professionals  offering  the  odds ; 
the  mixture  of  vehicles,  from  that  in  which  the 
fashionably- dressed  woman  was  drinking  cham- 
pagne, to  the  costermonger's  cart;  the  evident 
habitue,  and  the  innocent-faced  novice ;  the  un- 
ceasing roar  of  human  voices ;  the  strained  excite- 
ment until  the  winner  was  declared — all  these 
made  an  impression  on  my  mind  which  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  have  received  once,  and  which  one  can 
never  forget. 

When  the  race  was  over,  I  pushed  my  way  into 
the  inclosure,  not  without  having  been  recognized 
by  several,  who  seemed  utterly  at  a  loss  to  un- 


138  THE  BELLS   OF  IS 

derstand  my  business  there,  and  so  to  the  en- 
trance to  the  stand.  CHmbing  the  staircase,  I 
found  myself  at  the  end  of  a  long  corridor  that 
ran  from  end  to  end  of  the  building ;  on  the  left 
were  a  number  of  doors  entering  into  spacious 
rooms,  which  in  turn  opened  on  the  galleries  and 
verandas,  from  which  views  were  to  be  obtained 
of  the  course.  These  were  thronged  with  showily- 
dressed  people — women  in  the  gayest  of  costumes, 
the  men  in  light  dust-coats.  There  was  a  good 
deal  of  eating  and  drinking  going  forward,  and 
loud  talking,  and  general  excitement. 

I  felt  very  sensible  that  I  could  do  very  little 
by  myself,  in  face  of  the  strong  current  which  I 
knew  was  running  against  me.  And  yet  I  was 
conscious  that  God  was  asking  of  me  a  protest, 
which  in  the  fewest  words  I  was  determined  to 
try  and  give. 

By  this  time  the  broad  course  in  front  of  the 
stand  was  crowded  with  thousands  of  people,  and 
I  pushed  my  way  forward  to  the  front,  and  gave 
in  my  card  to  the  gentleman  w^ho  seemed  to  be 
in  charge.  A  number  crowded  around  me — 
young  swells  in  sporting-coats  asking  who  I  was, 
and  why  I  had  come,  and  what  I  wanted.  I  told 
them,  and  aroused  such  a  storm  of  indignation  as 
threatened  to  sweep  me  before  it.  They  shouted, 
gesticulated,  swore  at  me ;  some  said,  "  Let  him 
speak,"  others  threatened  to  throw  me  over;  but 


ON   THE  RACE-COURSE  139 

somehow  I  was  pushed  to  the  front,  and  there, 
looking  down  on  the  immense  crowd,  was  speed- 
ily recognized,  and  my  appearance  was  the  signal 
for  so  great  an  uproar  that  it  would  have  been 
impossible,  even  if  my  voice  had  been  four  times 
as  strong  as  it  is,  to  obtain  an  audience. 

On  finding  this,  and  being  uncomfortably  aware 
that  I  had  no  base  of  operations,  and  that  the 
gentlemen  behind  me  were  saying  some  very  un- 
complimentary things,  and  planning  worse,  I 
thought  that  discretion  was  the  best  part  of 
valor,  and  prepared  to  beat  a  retreat;  but  on 
turning  to  do  so  was  confronted  with  such  a  vis- 
ion of  human  passion  as  would  have  filled  me 
with  terror  had  I  not  been  so  confident  in  the  sin- 
cerity of  my  motive,  and  in  the  presence  of  God. 

And  I  never  can  tell  what  would  have  happened, 
if  at  this  moment  a  well-known  shopkeeper,  much 
given  to  drink,  but  who  was  a  kind-hearted  man 
in  his  sober  moments,  and  who  was  a  companion 
of  many  whom  I  had  helped  at  the  prison  gate, 
had  not  come  forward,  and  placed  himself  between 
the  vehement  crowd  and  myself,  saying :  "  Gentle- 
men, you  shall  not  touch  him — he  is  kind  to  those 
who  have  got  into  trouble  in  the  jail ;  let  him 
go!" 

He  then  constituted  himself  my  protector,  and 
led  me  down  that  corridor,  which  I  remember 
seemed  interminable,  and  which  was  now  lined 


I40  THE  BELLS    OF  IS 

on  either  side  by  a  crowd  who,  if  they  dared, 
would  no  doubt  have  torn  my  clothes  to  shreds, 
as  by  their  words  they  tried  to  do  my  character. 

But  I  got  safely  out,  and  made  my  way  to  the 
house  of  a  friend,  w^ho  was  rather  scared  by  my 
white  looks ;  for  indeed  I  felt  as  if  I  had  expended 
the  whole  of  my  nervous  energy. 

After  a  cup  of  tea,  I  set  to  work  and  wrote  the 
protest  that  I  had  intended  to  deliver ;  and  it  was 
published  in  the  Leicester  Daily  Post  the  follow- 
ing morning,  with  an  account  of  the  occurrence, 
which  the  reporter  described  as  '*  a  very  extraor- 
dinary proceeding  on  the  part  of  the  reverend 
gentleman." 

Of  course,  I  do  not  pretend  for  a  moment  to 
say  that  that  protest  led  to  the  discontinuance  of 
the  meetings  on  that  site ;  but  it  attracted  atten- 
tion to  the  evils  of  the  system,  and  it  certainly 
was  a  very  remarkable  thing — which  I  can  only 
attribute  to  the  direct  agency  of  God — that,  con- 
trary to  every  appearance,  the  races  were  discon- 
tinued. And  the  beautiful  spot  is  now  turned 
into  a  public  park,  where  boys  play  cricket  and 
children  roam  at  large.  It  is  one  of  the  lungs  of 
that  great  town  in  which  I  spent  some  of  the 
happiest  years  of  my  life. 

Wherever  races  are  held,  they  are  an  unmit- 
igated nuisance  and  source  of  temptation.  For 
a  month  after  this  annual  carnival  we  had  to  deal 


ON    THE  RACE-COURSE 


141 


with  its  wreckage,  in  the  miserable  men  and 
women  that  issued  from  the  jail,  and  were  glad 
enough  of  our  help.  Boys  who  had  plundered 
the  till  for  money  to  make  their  bets  or  pay  their 
losses ;  disreputable  women  locked  up  for  being 
drunk  and  disorderly ;  a  7'ara  avis  of  a  book- 
maker ;  and  many  of  the  same  class. 

It  is  impossible  to  disassociate  the  turf  from 
betting;  and  the  words  of  Kingsley  are  not  a 
whit  too  strong,  when  he  says :  **  Of  all  habits, 
gambling  is  the  most  intrinsically  savage  ;  morally 
it  is  unchivalrous  and  unchristian ;  the  devil  is  the 
only  father  of  it."  Let  the  Church  of  Christ  lead 
the  crusade  against  this  gigantic  evil — by  dis- 
couraging all  appeals  to  chance  ;  by  ousting  every 
form  of  gambling  from  bazaars ;  and  by  refusing 
to  court  the  patronage  of  any,  however  highly- 
born  and  illustrious,  who  use  their  influence  to 
foster  a  system  which,  in  the  words  of  the  late 
Lord  Beaconsfield,  is  "  a  vast  engine  of  national 
demoralization." 


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